❓ The Minister for Fisheries provides an update on the McGowan Labor government's shark deterrent program, highlighting the rebate scheme for personal shark deterrents, expansion of shark monitoring, and other safety initiatives. The Minister also criticises the opposition's lack of support for the program.
AnsweredQoN 787Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SHARK DETERRENT DEVICES — SUBSIDY
787. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Minister for Fisheries:
Can the minister update the house
on how the McGowan Labor government is continuing to improve community safety
and help provide protection for vulnerable beach users through its
scientifically proven personal shark deterrent program?
787. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Minister for Fisheries:
Can the minister update the house
on how the McGowan Labor government is continuing to improve community safety
and help provide protection for vulnerable beach users through its
scientifically proven personal shark deterrent program?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for the question and her ongoing interest in this area. Yes, I
can advise the house that this week, I announced that state government
will make another 1 000 rebates available for personal shark deterrents that have been approved by the
department. Since we introduced this program in May 2017, over 3 800 Western
Australians have taken advantage of this $200 rebate and have purchased a personal
shark deterrent. Over 3 800 Western Australians have taken up this program. I am
really pleased with the take-up. The acceptance amongst the dive community has
been absolutely outstanding. The majority of those rebates have been to people
from the dive community; however, since last year, when we approved a device
specifically designed for surfers, over 600 surfers have now purchased a surf
device. That take-up is despite the fact that members opposite have refused to
support this rebate scheme. The member for Vasse described —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse! Please, you are doing so well.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : You were doing
so well!
Mr D.J. KELLY : The member
for Vasse described these university-tested devices as like waving a toothpick
at a shark. But despite that negative commentary, over 3 800 Western Australians
have taken up these devices. They have made the decision to take a degree of
personal responsibility for their own safety. They can now take their device to
the most remote surf location in Western Australia, their secret dive location and
know that they have additional protection.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : Of course,
this is not the only thing that we are doing in this area. We have re-funded
the helicopter patrols for Surf Life Saving WA for another year. They will be
expanding their drone patrols this year as a result of that funding. We have
expanded the shark-monitoring network to include Esperance and the capes
region. For the life of me, given the history of these matters, I do not know
why members opposite never extended the shark-monitoring network to the
Margaret River region or to Esperance. Gracetown has had a lot of shark activity over the years. We have put satellite
receivers in that location. We now have a partnership with Surfing WA ,
for which we have provided additional funds for jetskis; a specific surfer
first aid program that it is rolling out with our support; and, importantly,
something that goes under the radar a bit, there are now 730 BEN signs—that
is, beach emergency numbers—at Western Australian beaches. These signs
give each location a unique identifier, so if there is a shark attack or some
other medical emergency, people can give that number directly to emergency services, and emergency service officers are not
wandering up and down the coast trying to find out which car park they
need to attend. When we launched that, the ambulance officers said to me, ''That
will definitely save lives.'' That is at 730 locations. We hope to have
1 000 BEN signs by the end of summer.
We continue to tag great white
sharks. Just recently, in Cockburn Sound, we tagged eight great white sharks as
part of the snapper season. We have the Sea Sense community education campaign,
and, of course, we have the SMART drum line trial in Gracetown, which continues
to roll out in a very smooth and professional manner. Members may want to call
the range of things that we have rolled out a comprehensive shark monitoring or
shark mitigation package. We can never
completely eliminate the risk, but, as a government, we are getting on with the
job.
thank the member for the question and her ongoing interest in this area. Yes, I
can advise the house that this week, I announced that state government
will make another 1 000 rebates available for personal shark deterrents that have been approved by the
department. Since we introduced this program in May 2017, over 3 800 Western
Australians have taken advantage of this $200 rebate and have purchased a personal
shark deterrent. Over 3 800 Western Australians have taken up this program. I am
really pleased with the take-up. The acceptance amongst the dive community has
been absolutely outstanding. The majority of those rebates have been to people
from the dive community; however, since last year, when we approved a device
specifically designed for surfers, over 600 surfers have now purchased a surf
device. That take-up is despite the fact that members opposite have refused to
support this rebate scheme. The member for Vasse described —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse! Please, you are doing so well.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : You were doing
so well!
Mr D.J. KELLY : The member
for Vasse described these university-tested devices as like waving a toothpick
at a shark. But despite that negative commentary, over 3 800 Western Australians
have taken up these devices. They have made the decision to take a degree of
personal responsibility for their own safety. They can now take their device to
the most remote surf location in Western Australia, their secret dive location and
know that they have additional protection.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : Of course,
this is not the only thing that we are doing in this area. We have re-funded
the helicopter patrols for Surf Life Saving WA for another year. They will be
expanding their drone patrols this year as a result of that funding. We have
expanded the shark-monitoring network to include Esperance and the capes
region. For the life of me, given the history of these matters, I do not know
why members opposite never extended the shark-monitoring network to the
Margaret River region or to Esperance. Gracetown has had a lot of shark activity over the years. We have put satellite
receivers in that location. We now have a partnership with Surfing WA ,
for which we have provided additional funds for jetskis; a specific surfer
first aid program that it is rolling out with our support; and, importantly,
something that goes under the radar a bit, there are now 730 BEN signs—that
is, beach emergency numbers—at Western Australian beaches. These signs
give each location a unique identifier, so if there is a shark attack or some
other medical emergency, people can give that number directly to emergency services, and emergency service officers are not
wandering up and down the coast trying to find out which car park they
need to attend. When we launched that, the ambulance officers said to me, ''That
will definitely save lives.'' That is at 730 locations. We hope to have
1 000 BEN signs by the end of summer.
We continue to tag great white
sharks. Just recently, in Cockburn Sound, we tagged eight great white sharks as
part of the snapper season. We have the Sea Sense community education campaign,
and, of course, we have the SMART drum line trial in Gracetown, which continues
to roll out in a very smooth and professional manner. Members may want to call
the range of things that we have rolled out a comprehensive shark monitoring or
shark mitigation package. We can never
completely eliminate the risk, but, as a government, we are getting on with the
job.
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