❓ Hon Aaron Stonehouse questions the Minister for Agriculture and Food regarding the declared pest rate extension, focusing on the proportion of consultation responses opposing the rate. The Minister defends the rate, highlighting low opposition and community support.
AnsweredQoN 135Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DECLARED PEST RATE
135. Hon AARON STONEHOUSE to the Minister for Agriculture
and Food:
I
thank the minister for her detailed, if somewhat opaque, answer to my question
with notice 112 of Thursday, 21 February 2019, regarding the extension of the
declared pest rate to homes in the south west and the Perth hills. The minister
effectively gave me some maths homework to do, and I would appreciate her
confirmation of my working.
(1) If 12 500
consultation letters were sent out to landowners as part of the recent
consultation exercise, and 265 letters were received in response, and 1.6 per
cent of those who received consultation letters replied in opposition to the
rate determination, am I right in thinking that roughly 200 people wrote to the
department to argue against the extension, as opposed to the approximately 65
people who were either neutral or in favour of the move?
(2) If yes, will
the minister concede the simple mathematical fact that, by her own admission,
three-quarters of all those who wrote to her did so to tell her she was wrong?
135. Hon AARON STONEHOUSE to the Minister for Agriculture
and Food:
I
thank the minister for her detailed, if somewhat opaque, answer to my question
with notice 112 of Thursday, 21 February 2019, regarding the extension of the
declared pest rate to homes in the south west and the Perth hills. The minister
effectively gave me some maths homework to do, and I would appreciate her
confirmation of my working.
(1) If 12 500
consultation letters were sent out to landowners as part of the recent
consultation exercise, and 265 letters were received in response, and 1.6 per
cent of those who received consultation letters replied in opposition to the
rate determination, am I right in thinking that roughly 200 people wrote to the
department to argue against the extension, as opposed to the approximately 65
people who were either neutral or in favour of the move?
(2) If yes, will
the minister concede the simple mathematical fact that, by her own admission,
three-quarters of all those who wrote to her did so to tell her she was wrong?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question, and I completely reject his claim that my
answer was opaque. I made it very clear that I thought the highly relevant
statistic was that of the over 12 000 letters that were sent out, only 1.6 per
cent opposed the rate determination. I do understand that the member is fairly
new to politics, but he will learn —
Several members interjected.
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : Hang
on!
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! I cannot
hear the minister's response.
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : He
was hardly playing entirely with a straight bat, and he is clearly capable of
having a little bit of humour injected into questions —
Hon Peter Collier interjected.
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : — unlike the Leader of the Opposition, who is such
a fragile and sensitive person.
The PRESIDENT : Minister, you
might just respond to the question and not start to have a go at people around
the chamber.
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : Thank
you.
Member, it is true that when we send
out 12 500 letters, and, of those, we receive complaints from around 165, yes,
we do draw a conclusion that the majority of people are either neutral or
support this particular rate determination. I will say to the member that it is
very important to understand how these come about. These recognised biosecurity
groups are actually set up by local communities. They are not set up by the
state government; they are set up by local communities. They then apply for a rate
determination, and they then seek the approval, as well, of their local
council. I think it is entirely appropriate for us, as previous governments
have done ever since this legislation was introduced in around 2007, to
continue with the practice that when a very, very modest number of people raise
an objection, we determine in favour of the recognised biosecurity group and
impose these modest rates. I can say that by 28 February 2019, 83 per cent of
all relevant landholders in the five RBGs have already paid their declared pest
rate for 2018–19.
thank the member for the question, and I completely reject his claim that my
answer was opaque. I made it very clear that I thought the highly relevant
statistic was that of the over 12 000 letters that were sent out, only 1.6 per
cent opposed the rate determination. I do understand that the member is fairly
new to politics, but he will learn —
Several members interjected.
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : Hang
on!
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! I cannot
hear the minister's response.
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : He
was hardly playing entirely with a straight bat, and he is clearly capable of
having a little bit of humour injected into questions —
Hon Peter Collier interjected.
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : — unlike the Leader of the Opposition, who is such
a fragile and sensitive person.
The PRESIDENT : Minister, you
might just respond to the question and not start to have a go at people around
the chamber.
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : Thank
you.
Member, it is true that when we send
out 12 500 letters, and, of those, we receive complaints from around 165, yes,
we do draw a conclusion that the majority of people are either neutral or
support this particular rate determination. I will say to the member that it is
very important to understand how these come about. These recognised biosecurity
groups are actually set up by local communities. They are not set up by the
state government; they are set up by local communities. They then apply for a rate
determination, and they then seek the approval, as well, of their local
council. I think it is entirely appropriate for us, as previous governments
have done ever since this legislation was introduced in around 2007, to
continue with the practice that when a very, very modest number of people raise
an objection, we determine in favour of the recognised biosecurity group and
impose these modest rates. I can say that by 28 February 2019, 83 per cent of
all relevant landholders in the five RBGs have already paid their declared pest
rate for 2018–19.
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