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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 112 asked in the Legislative Council on 21 February 2019 by Hon Aaron Stonehouse

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

DECLARED PEST RATE

112. Hon AARON STONEHOUSE to the Minister for Agriculture and Food:

I refer the minister to her public consultation around the expansion of the declared pest rate to include properties in the Perth hills and the south west.

(1) What correspondence, if any, has the minister or her department received from members of the public on this issue since the proposed expansion was first floated?

(2) What portion of that correspondence has argued against this new tax?

(3) What action, if any, will the minister take to address the concerns of home owners in the affected areas?

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:

I thank the member for the question.

(1)–(2) In 2018, five recognised biosecurity groups sought funding for the first time through the declared pest rate mechanism for the 2018–19 financial year. These were Blackwood Biosecurity Inc, Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association, Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group, Esperance Biosecurity Association and Southern Biosecurity Group. In relation to these five groups, more than 12 500 consultation letters were sent to landowners during the official consultation period. The department received 265 letters in response to these consultation letters. Of the landowners who were sent letters, a total of 1.6 per cent opposed the rate determination.

(3) Comments received from landowners by my office and the department are used by the department and the RBGs to improve planning and address landholder needs. The department will continue to work with RBGs to engage with landowners on the benefits the groups and the rate provide to local communities and landowners to reduce declared pest impacts on land productivity and environmental outcomes. It is important that landowners do understand that they have a legal obligation to control declared pests on their property, and the declared pest rate mechanism is a cost-effective way of helping satisfy that obligation.