❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the threat of cane toads to WA's environment, inquiring about existing strategies and research for control measures. The Minister acknowledges the threat and outlines current actions, highlighting the lack of effective broad-scale control methods.
AnsweredQoN 839Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Does the minister acknowledge that the cane toad has had significant impacts on the environment in various parts of Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory? (2) Does the minister acknowledge that the cane toad is advancing towards Western Australia and that some Department of Conservation and Land Management officers have predicted that the cane toad will be established in the Kimberley within three years? (3) Given that the spread of the cane toad has been in progress for 70 years and that the responsibilities of the Department of Conservation and Land Management include the protection of native plants and animals from disease, feral predators and pests and that the Department of Environment has strong environmental protection powers, what strategies etc do these departments have in place, and what research is being undertaken into control measures in Western Australia, to protect Western Australia’s native plants, animals, natural ecosystems and environment from the ravages of the cane toad? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
(2) Does the minister acknowledge that the cane toad is advancing towards Western Australia and that some Department of Conservation and Land Management officers have predicted that the cane toad will be established in the Kimberley within three years? (3) Given that the spread of the cane toad has been in progress for 70 years and that the responsibilities of the Department of Conservation and Land Management include the protection of native plants and animals from disease, feral predators and pests and that the Department of Environment has strong environmental protection powers, what strategies etc do these departments have in place, and what research is being undertaken into control measures in Western Australia, to protect Western Australia’s native plants, animals, natural ecosystems and environment from the ravages of the cane toad? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
(3) Given that the spread of the cane toad has been in progress for 70 years and that the responsibilities of the Department of Conservation and Land Management include the protection of native plants and animals from disease, feral predators and pests and that the Department of Environment has strong environmental protection powers, what strategies etc do these departments have in place, and what research is being undertaken into control measures in Western Australia, to protect Western Australia’s native plants, animals, natural ecosystems and environment from the ravages of the cane toad? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
(1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
(3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
(2) Does the minister acknowledge that the cane toad is advancing towards Western Australia and that some Department of Conservation and Land Management officers have predicted that the cane toad will be established in the Kimberley within three years? (3) Given that the spread of the cane toad has been in progress for 70 years and that the responsibilities of the Department of Conservation and Land Management include the protection of native plants and animals from disease, feral predators and pests and that the Department of Environment has strong environmental protection powers, what strategies etc do these departments have in place, and what research is being undertaken into control measures in Western Australia, to protect Western Australia’s native plants, animals, natural ecosystems and environment from the ravages of the cane toad? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
(3) Given that the spread of the cane toad has been in progress for 70 years and that the responsibilities of the Department of Conservation and Land Management include the protection of native plants and animals from disease, feral predators and pests and that the Department of Environment has strong environmental protection powers, what strategies etc do these departments have in place, and what research is being undertaken into control measures in Western Australia, to protect Western Australia’s native plants, animals, natural ecosystems and environment from the ravages of the cane toad? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
(1)-(2) Yes. (3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
(3) There is no biological control or other control method currently available that can effectively halt or slow the spread of cane toads into suitable habitat, otherwise that would be being done in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The Department of Conservation and Land Management has contributed in the past to national research efforts into control techniques, and is participating in a meeting today in Darwin of a national cane toad task force set up by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. CALM is carrying out additional fauna survey work in the Kimberley in order to identify strategy options for conservation action, including protection of key species on island reserves. The Department of Agriculture maintains border surveillance to detect cane toads being transported into Western Australia. Both CALM and the Department of Agriculture maintain programs of community information and investigate reported sightings.
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