❓ WA Environment Minister outlines state's cane toad management efforts, highlighting collaboration with NT and expressing frustration at the Federal government's delayed matching funds despite WA's $600,000 contribution.
AnsweredQoN 189Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the minister outline whether the federal government has made any commitment so far to match dollar for dollar the contribution of Western Australia to fight the spread of cane toads into the Kimberley? Dr J.M. EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. As he is aware, the offer from the federal government was that if the state put money on the table, it would match it. Consequently, late last year we put $600 000 on the table. Although we have received a very nice cordial letter from the federal government indicating that it thinks this is a good idea, the cheque must still be in the mail. That has not held us back, however. We have started to roll out new programs as part of that allocation of new money. We have set up the State Cane Toad Management Advisory Committee and the Kimberley Cane Toad Working Group, so that a regional perspective can feed into that strategy. In addition, this year five new surveillance officers have been located in Kununurra to ensure that there is increased capacity to follow up potential sightings of cane toads and to make sure that any pathways into Western Australia are closed off to the extent that we can close them. An additional cane toad officer has also been located at the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. On top of that, all sightings have been followed up and, fortunately, none has been of cane toads. I am delighted that we have been able to spend money over the border in the Northern Territory, particularly by participating in a competition to design new cane toad traps. I have a very nice photo of one; in fact, I have a colour photo as well. I will make sure that the Minister for Health sees it! The fact that we are spending money over the border shows that we are serious about this issue. We have established a very good working relationship with the Northern Territory. We will embark on an increased trapping program with the Northern Territory in June-July and we will look in particular at a national park in the region. We are delighted with the cooperation we are getting from the Northern Territory. We are also in the final stages of a good community awareness promotion that will be hand-delivered to people in the east Kimberley region, so that they will be aware of what to look out for. On top of that, signs will be placed on roads at the Northern Territory border and in the Northern Territory itself - Mr P.D. Omodei : Telling the cane toads not to go beyond this border! Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. As he is aware, the offer from the federal government was that if the state put money on the table, it would match it. Consequently, late last year we put $600 000 on the table. Although we have received a very nice cordial letter from the federal government indicating that it thinks this is a good idea, the cheque must still be in the mail. That has not held us back, however. We have started to roll out new programs as part of that allocation of new money. We have set up the State Cane Toad Management Advisory Committee and the Kimberley Cane Toad Working Group, so that a regional perspective can feed into that strategy. In addition, this year five new surveillance officers have been located in Kununurra to ensure that there is increased capacity to follow up potential sightings of cane toads and to make sure that any pathways into Western Australia are closed off to the extent that we can close them. An additional cane toad officer has also been located at the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. On top of that, all sightings have been followed up and, fortunately, none has been of cane toads. I am delighted that we have been able to spend money over the border in the Northern Territory, particularly by participating in a competition to design new cane toad traps. I have a very nice photo of one; in fact, I have a colour photo as well. I will make sure that the Minister for Health sees it! The fact that we are spending money over the border shows that we are serious about this issue. We have established a very good working relationship with the Northern Territory. We will embark on an increased trapping program with the Northern Territory in June-July and we will look in particular at a national park in the region. We are delighted with the cooperation we are getting from the Northern Territory. We are also in the final stages of a good community awareness promotion that will be hand-delivered to people in the east Kimberley region, so that they will be aware of what to look out for. On top of that, signs will be placed on roads at the Northern Territory border and in the Northern Territory itself - Mr P.D. Omodei : Telling the cane toads not to go beyond this border! Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
I thank the member for the question. As he is aware, the offer from the federal government was that if the state put money on the table, it would match it. Consequently, late last year we put $600 000 on the table. Although we have received a very nice cordial letter from the federal government indicating that it thinks this is a good idea, the cheque must still be in the mail. That has not held us back, however. We have started to roll out new programs as part of that allocation of new money. We have set up the State Cane Toad Management Advisory Committee and the Kimberley Cane Toad Working Group, so that a regional perspective can feed into that strategy. In addition, this year five new surveillance officers have been located in Kununurra to ensure that there is increased capacity to follow up potential sightings of cane toads and to make sure that any pathways into Western Australia are closed off to the extent that we can close them. An additional cane toad officer has also been located at the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. On top of that, all sightings have been followed up and, fortunately, none has been of cane toads. I am delighted that we have been able to spend money over the border in the Northern Territory, particularly by participating in a competition to design new cane toad traps. I have a very nice photo of one; in fact, I have a colour photo as well. I will make sure that the Minister for Health sees it! The fact that we are spending money over the border shows that we are serious about this issue. We have established a very good working relationship with the Northern Territory. We will embark on an increased trapping program with the Northern Territory in June-July and we will look in particular at a national park in the region. We are delighted with the cooperation we are getting from the Northern Territory. We are also in the final stages of a good community awareness promotion that will be hand-delivered to people in the east Kimberley region, so that they will be aware of what to look out for. On top of that, signs will be placed on roads at the Northern Territory border and in the Northern Territory itself - Mr P.D. Omodei : Telling the cane toads not to go beyond this border! Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
I am delighted that we have been able to spend money over the border in the Northern Territory, particularly by participating in a competition to design new cane toad traps. I have a very nice photo of one; in fact, I have a colour photo as well. I will make sure that the Minister for Health sees it! The fact that we are spending money over the border shows that we are serious about this issue. We have established a very good working relationship with the Northern Territory. We will embark on an increased trapping program with the Northern Territory in June-July and we will look in particular at a national park in the region. We are delighted with the cooperation we are getting from the Northern Territory. We are also in the final stages of a good community awareness promotion that will be hand-delivered to people in the east Kimberley region, so that they will be aware of what to look out for. On top of that, signs will be placed on roads at the Northern Territory border and in the Northern Territory itself - Mr P.D. Omodei : Telling the cane toads not to go beyond this border! Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Mr P.D. Omodei : Telling the cane toads not to go beyond this border! Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. As he is aware, the offer from the federal government was that if the state put money on the table, it would match it. Consequently, late last year we put $600 000 on the table. Although we have received a very nice cordial letter from the federal government indicating that it thinks this is a good idea, the cheque must still be in the mail. That has not held us back, however. We have started to roll out new programs as part of that allocation of new money. We have set up the State Cane Toad Management Advisory Committee and the Kimberley Cane Toad Working Group, so that a regional perspective can feed into that strategy. In addition, this year five new surveillance officers have been located in Kununurra to ensure that there is increased capacity to follow up potential sightings of cane toads and to make sure that any pathways into Western Australia are closed off to the extent that we can close them. An additional cane toad officer has also been located at the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. On top of that, all sightings have been followed up and, fortunately, none has been of cane toads. I am delighted that we have been able to spend money over the border in the Northern Territory, particularly by participating in a competition to design new cane toad traps. I have a very nice photo of one; in fact, I have a colour photo as well. I will make sure that the Minister for Health sees it! The fact that we are spending money over the border shows that we are serious about this issue. We have established a very good working relationship with the Northern Territory. We will embark on an increased trapping program with the Northern Territory in June-July and we will look in particular at a national park in the region. We are delighted with the cooperation we are getting from the Northern Territory. We are also in the final stages of a good community awareness promotion that will be hand-delivered to people in the east Kimberley region, so that they will be aware of what to look out for. On top of that, signs will be placed on roads at the Northern Territory border and in the Northern Territory itself - Mr P.D. Omodei : Telling the cane toads not to go beyond this border! Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
I thank the member for the question. As he is aware, the offer from the federal government was that if the state put money on the table, it would match it. Consequently, late last year we put $600 000 on the table. Although we have received a very nice cordial letter from the federal government indicating that it thinks this is a good idea, the cheque must still be in the mail. That has not held us back, however. We have started to roll out new programs as part of that allocation of new money. We have set up the State Cane Toad Management Advisory Committee and the Kimberley Cane Toad Working Group, so that a regional perspective can feed into that strategy. In addition, this year five new surveillance officers have been located in Kununurra to ensure that there is increased capacity to follow up potential sightings of cane toads and to make sure that any pathways into Western Australia are closed off to the extent that we can close them. An additional cane toad officer has also been located at the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. On top of that, all sightings have been followed up and, fortunately, none has been of cane toads. I am delighted that we have been able to spend money over the border in the Northern Territory, particularly by participating in a competition to design new cane toad traps. I have a very nice photo of one; in fact, I have a colour photo as well. I will make sure that the Minister for Health sees it! The fact that we are spending money over the border shows that we are serious about this issue. We have established a very good working relationship with the Northern Territory. We will embark on an increased trapping program with the Northern Territory in June-July and we will look in particular at a national park in the region. We are delighted with the cooperation we are getting from the Northern Territory. We are also in the final stages of a good community awareness promotion that will be hand-delivered to people in the east Kimberley region, so that they will be aware of what to look out for. On top of that, signs will be placed on roads at the Northern Territory border and in the Northern Territory itself - Mr P.D. Omodei : Telling the cane toads not to go beyond this border! Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
I am delighted that we have been able to spend money over the border in the Northern Territory, particularly by participating in a competition to design new cane toad traps. I have a very nice photo of one; in fact, I have a colour photo as well. I will make sure that the Minister for Health sees it! The fact that we are spending money over the border shows that we are serious about this issue. We have established a very good working relationship with the Northern Territory. We will embark on an increased trapping program with the Northern Territory in June-July and we will look in particular at a national park in the region. We are delighted with the cooperation we are getting from the Northern Territory. We are also in the final stages of a good community awareness promotion that will be hand-delivered to people in the east Kimberley region, so that they will be aware of what to look out for. On top of that, signs will be placed on roads at the Northern Territory border and in the Northern Territory itself - Mr P.D. Omodei : Telling the cane toads not to go beyond this border! Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Mr P.D. Omodei : Telling the cane toads not to go beyond this border! Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I am delighted that the member thinks that that would work, but we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that! Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Mr P.D. Omodei : What about the fence? Tell us about the fence. There is a proposal for a cane toad fence. Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS : I hate to tell the member, but in June and July we will consider that very issue with the Northern Territory government. We are investigating sites where fencing might well be part of the answer. We have a very good program. We are working extremely well with the Northern Territory government. It is one of those rare instances in which we need to spend money over the border to stop a problem in this state. I hope that the Australian government will come on board very soon and put its money where its mouth is.
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