❓ Hon. Darren West raises concerns about the spread of cotton bush along the Darling Scarp and its impact on agricultural producers, questioning the Minister on short-term control measures and compliance of state government agencies. The Minister acknowledges the issue and outlines a community-coordinated approach.
AnsweredQoN 1000Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
COTTON BUSH CONTROL
1000. Hon DARREN WEST to the
Minister for Agriculture and Food:
I refer to the epidemic of cotton bush along the Darling
Scarp.
(1) Is the
Minister for Agriculture and Food fully aware of the destruction this weed is
causing to agricultural producers?
(2) What are
the minister and the Department of Agriculture and Food doing in the short term
to address this ever-growing epidemic?
(3) Is the
minister aware that some of the major landowners allowing cotton bush to grow
uncontrolled are state government agencies? If so, what action is the minister
taking to enforce compliance on those agencies?
1000. Hon DARREN WEST to the
Minister for Agriculture and Food:
I refer to the epidemic of cotton bush along the Darling
Scarp.
(1) Is the
Minister for Agriculture and Food fully aware of the destruction this weed is
causing to agricultural producers?
(2) What are
the minister and the Department of Agriculture and Food doing in the short term
to address this ever-growing epidemic?
(3) Is the
minister aware that some of the major landowners allowing cotton bush to grow
uncontrolled are state government agencies? If so, what action is the minister
taking to enforce compliance on those agencies?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) Yes;
narrow-leaf cotton bush is a widespread and established weed that is declared
under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007, better known as the
BAM act.
(2) Cotton
bush is best controlled at a landscape scale through a community-coordinated
approach. Department of Agriculture and Food staff are actively developing this
approach where cotton bush is well established.
(3) Control of
plants under the BAM act is the responsibility of both private and public land
managers. Public land managers are participating in a community-coordinated
approach for control of cotton bush. Compliance action will be considered where
it is feasible and effective to do so as part of the current approach.
(1) Yes;
narrow-leaf cotton bush is a widespread and established weed that is declared
under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007, better known as the
BAM act.
(2) Cotton
bush is best controlled at a landscape scale through a community-coordinated
approach. Department of Agriculture and Food staff are actively developing this
approach where cotton bush is well established.
(3) Control of
plants under the BAM act is the responsibility of both private and public land
managers. Public land managers are participating in a community-coordinated
approach for control of cotton bush. Compliance action will be considered where
it is feasible and effective to do so as part of the current approach.
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