Parliamentary Questions

AQUACULTURE — EMPLOYMENT

673. Hon JAMES HAYWARD to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Fisheries:

I ask this question on behalf of Hon Colin de Grussa who is away on urgent parliamentary business. I refer to the government's Aquaculture development plan for Western Australia dated November 2020, and the stated projected increases in direct and indirect aquaculture-based employment from an estimated 280 jobs to almost 6 000 jobs.

(1) How many of these projected jobs are related to the midwest aquaculture development zone?

(2) How many of these projected jobs are related to the Albany aquaculture development zone?

(3) Who calculated the projected job increases?

(4) What methodology was used to calculate the projected increases, and under what assumptions?

(5) Please table the breakdown of projected geographic locations for these jobs.

Hon KYLE McGINN replied:

I thank the member for some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me from the Minister for Fisheries.

(1) It is an estimated 1 440 direct jobs.

(2) It is an estimated 258 direct jobs.

(3) It was the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

(4) Job projections draw on publications on economic impact of aquaculture in Tasmania and South Australia using production systems similar to those likely to be used in Western Australia. The figures assume production at full capacity that it could take 12 to 15 years for full production to be achieved and use a multiplier for indirect jobs.

(5) Refer to the table below. I seek leave to have the response incorporated into Hansard.