❓ Hon Colin de Grussa questions the Minister for Fisheries regarding the delayed implementation and eventual repeal of the Aquatic Resources Management Act, seeking clarification on the future of fisheries management and compensation for affected commercial fishers. The Minister's response outlines the reasons for the repeal, the continued use of the existing Act, and confirms compensation.
AnsweredQoN 763Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
AQUATIC RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT ACT — IMPLEMENTATION
763. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I
refer to my question without notice 486 asked on 15 May 2024 about the
implementation of the Aquatic Resources Management Act.
(1) Why has it taken over seven years for the minister
to determine that ARMA was not able to be implemented?
(2) Will the Fish Resources
Management Act 1994 continue to be used in its present form?
(3) If no to (2), when does the minister propose to
introduce amendments or alternative legislation into Parliament?
(4) Does the
minister propose that commercial fishers affected by the implementation of the
South Coast and Marmion Marine Parks will be compensated through the Fishing
and Related Industries Compensation (Marine Reserves) Act 1997?
MANAGEMENT ACT — IMPLEMENTATION
763. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I
refer to my question without notice 486 asked on 15 May 2024 about the
implementation of the Aquatic Resources Management Act.
(1) Why has it taken over seven years for the minister
to determine that ARMA was not able to be implemented?
(2) Will the Fish Resources
Management Act 1994 continue to be used in its present form?
(3) If no to (2), when does the minister propose to
introduce amendments or alternative legislation into Parliament?
(4) Does the
minister propose that commercial fishers affected by the implementation of the
South Coast and Marmion Marine Parks will be compensated through the Fishing
and Related Industries Compensation (Marine Reserves) Act 1997?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for some notice of the question. The following answer has been
provided by the Minister for Fisheries.
(1) The Western Australian
government amended the Aquatic Resources Management Act 2016 in 2021 after
identifying fundamental deficiencies in the previous Liberal–National
government's legislation. The government set a new implementation date
of 1 November 2023. The process of implementing a new act is complex and
requires extensive stakeholder engagement. In 2023, peak fishing bodies raised
further concerns regarding the implementation of ARMA. After careful
consideration of this feedback and the results of further workshops with peak
fishing bodies in the second half of 2023, the WA government decided that ARMA
would be repealed.
(2) The Fish Resources Management Act 1994 continues
to be effective legislation and work will continue with the peak fishing
bodies to look at potential improvements to help ensure sustainable fisheries
management for the future.
(3) The drafting
and introduction of bills is a decision for cabinet.
(4) Yes. The payment of compensation under Fishing and
Related Industries Compensation (Marine Reserves) Act 1997 is a statutory
process triggered by the establishment of a marine park.
thank the member for some notice of the question. The following answer has been
provided by the Minister for Fisheries.
(1) The Western Australian
government amended the Aquatic Resources Management Act 2016 in 2021 after
identifying fundamental deficiencies in the previous Liberal–National
government's legislation. The government set a new implementation date
of 1 November 2023. The process of implementing a new act is complex and
requires extensive stakeholder engagement. In 2023, peak fishing bodies raised
further concerns regarding the implementation of ARMA. After careful
consideration of this feedback and the results of further workshops with peak
fishing bodies in the second half of 2023, the WA government decided that ARMA
would be repealed.
(2) The Fish Resources Management Act 1994 continues
to be effective legislation and work will continue with the peak fishing
bodies to look at potential improvements to help ensure sustainable fisheries
management for the future.
(3) The drafting
and introduction of bills is a decision for cabinet.
(4) Yes. The payment of compensation under Fishing and
Related Industries Compensation (Marine Reserves) Act 1997 is a statutory
process triggered by the establishment of a marine park.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.