LANDGATE — PASTURES
FROM SPACE — DECOMMISSIONING
181. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Minister for Agriculture and
Food:
I
refer to question without notice 883 asked by me to the minister on 20
September 2018. The answer stated that discussions were occurring between the Department
of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Landgate to provide an
alternative service to the Pastures from Space tool for farmers after it was
decommissioned by Landgate.
(1) Have these
discussions progressed since 19 September 2018?
(2) If yes to
(1), what meetings were held, on what dates and who attended those meetings?
(3) If yes to
(1), what alternative methods will the state government provide to support
farmers in monitoring feed and water on large pastoral leases?
(4) Could the Pastures
from Space program or a similar remote-sensing tool be used to help prevent
animal deaths in the Pilbara and Kimberley by giving property owners
information on feed and water availability?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
(1) Yes.
(2) Meetings
between Landgate, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's
legal, technical and operational proponents have been occurring on approximately
a fortnightly basis since September 2018. By April 2019, we expect industry to
have access to data on a district level for pasture growth.
(3) Pastures
from Space is relevant only to the agricultural regions and has therefore not
been used to monitor conditions on pastoral leases.
(4) Yes. Other
models using satellite imagery are being used by DPIRD to monitor change in
vegetation in the pastoral region.