❓ Hon. Bruce Donaldson questions the effectiveness of the two-year starling eradication program, and Hon. Kim Chance responds that the program aims to assess control methods rather than complete eradication, with future funding dependent on the program's evaluation.
AnsweredQoN 544Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
STARLING ERADICATION PROGRAM
I refer to the 2007-08 budget estimate of $2.45 million for the current starling control program and a similar amount in the 2008-09 budget for trying to eradicate the starling population in the south coast region. Nothing was allocated in the forward estimates for 2009-10. Do the minister and the Department of Agriculture and Food believe that the two-year extended eradication program will remove the threat of starlings becoming a major problem in WA? Hon KIM CHANCE
I refer to the 2007-08 budget estimate of $2.45 million for the current starling control program and a similar amount in the 2008-09 budget for trying to eradicate the starling population in the south coast region. Nothing was allocated in the forward estimates for 2009-10. Do the minister and the Department of Agriculture and Food believe that the two-year extended eradication program will remove the threat of starlings becoming a major problem in WA? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for the question. No, I do not think anybody reasonably expects that a two-year control program would result in the eradication of the species. However, somewhere near the expiration of two years, we will know much more clearly whether the processes that we have chosen for the starling campaign are the right choices. For that reason, I do not believe that I even sought funding into 2009-10. I think I only sought funding for the current year and the ensuing two years. There was a particular reason for that. I wanted to carry out an assessment of the program at that point and whoever is the minister then can determine whether to go on with that campaign or a new one. The short answer is no, the expiration of the campaign at that period does not indicate that we think we will eradicate the species, although one never knows one’s luck.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for the question. No, I do not think anybody reasonably expects that a two-year control program would result in the eradication of the species. However, somewhere near the expiration of two years, we will know much more clearly whether the processes that we have chosen for the starling campaign are the right choices. For that reason, I do not believe that I even sought funding into 2009-10. I think I only sought funding for the current year and the ensuing two years. There was a particular reason for that. I wanted to carry out an assessment of the program at that point and whoever is the minister then can determine whether to go on with that campaign or a new one. The short answer is no, the expiration of the campaign at that period does not indicate that we think we will eradicate the species, although one never knows one’s luck.
I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for the question. No, I do not think anybody reasonably expects that a two-year control program would result in the eradication of the species. However, somewhere near the expiration of two years, we will know much more clearly whether the processes that we have chosen for the starling campaign are the right choices. For that reason, I do not believe that I even sought funding into 2009-10. I think I only sought funding for the current year and the ensuing two years. There was a particular reason for that. I wanted to carry out an assessment of the program at that point and whoever is the minister then can determine whether to go on with that campaign or a new one. The short answer is no, the expiration of the campaign at that period does not indicate that we think we will eradicate the species, although one never knows one’s luck.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for the question. No, I do not think anybody reasonably expects that a two-year control program would result in the eradication of the species. However, somewhere near the expiration of two years, we will know much more clearly whether the processes that we have chosen for the starling campaign are the right choices. For that reason, I do not believe that I even sought funding into 2009-10. I think I only sought funding for the current year and the ensuing two years. There was a particular reason for that. I wanted to carry out an assessment of the program at that point and whoever is the minister then can determine whether to go on with that campaign or a new one. The short answer is no, the expiration of the campaign at that period does not indicate that we think we will eradicate the species, although one never knows one’s luck.
I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for the question. No, I do not think anybody reasonably expects that a two-year control program would result in the eradication of the species. However, somewhere near the expiration of two years, we will know much more clearly whether the processes that we have chosen for the starling campaign are the right choices. For that reason, I do not believe that I even sought funding into 2009-10. I think I only sought funding for the current year and the ensuing two years. There was a particular reason for that. I wanted to carry out an assessment of the program at that point and whoever is the minister then can determine whether to go on with that campaign or a new one. The short answer is no, the expiration of the campaign at that period does not indicate that we think we will eradicate the species, although one never knows one’s luck.
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