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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 176 asked in the Legislative Council on 27 May 2021 by Hon Sophia Moermond

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

INDUSTRIAL HEMP

176. Hon SOPHIA MOERMOND to the Minister for Regional Development:

I refer the minister to the regional dryland crop agronomy seed culture trials and harvest survey overseen by HempGro and financed by government funding in the financial year 2018–19.

(1) Does the government intend to release the findings of the trials and/or survey, or does it have a timetable for the release of that information by any third parties?

(2) Were any similar trials or studies undertaken or completed since 2018 and 2019; and, if so, what plans, if any, are there to release that information?

(3) Are there any plans to continue such research into the future, and is the minister able to share those plans with the house?

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:

I thank the member for some notice of the question.

(1)–(3) Member, on Tuesday I did provide information about the trials that we are currently doing, so the answer to that part of the question, obviously, is yes, as per the answer we provided then. In relation to the particular studies done under the auspices of HempGro, I am advised that information on all available results to date in this research area have been given in numerous forums, including open forums of growers in April 2021 and an emerging industries food conference in Darwin in May 2021. Interviews were given on regional ABC and results were presented on all hemp trials at a conference in Fremantle in February 2021—although it says ''2020''—and at a symposium in March 2021.

Both events in Fremantle received media coverage. Member, I do think this sort of information should be placed on the website so that it is properly available, so I have today asked the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to make sure that it collates these reports and the material is available on the website. Obviously, the 2021 work I referred to yesterday is still underway, but we certainly will be presenting that at the March 2022 third biennial Australian Industrial Hemp Conference.