Hon Bruce Donaldson questions the proposed exclusion fishing zone near a telecommunications cable. Hon Jon Ford expresses strong reservations, citing a lack of justification and no prior incidents of damage.

AnsweredQoN 1019Legislative Council
Asked
2 November 2006
Portfolio
Fisheries

QuestionView source ↗

TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE - EXCLUSION FISHING ZONE
(1) Will the minister inform the house whether he will support the fishers, both commercial and recreational, in opposing the exclusion fishing zone in the vicinity of the telecommunications cable that has been proposed by the federal Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Hon Helen Coonan? (2) Is there any evidence that this measure, as proposed, has any validity? (3) Has the Department of Fisheries ever received any notification that fishing has caused damage to, or displacement of, the cable? Hon JON FORD

AnswerView source ↗

I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for some notice of the question. (1) I have already written to the commonwealth Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Hon Helen Coonan, expressing my strong reservations about the proposed exclusion fishing zone in the vicinity of the telecommunications cable off the Perth metropolitan coast. (2) In my view, there appears to be little justification for a total closure to all fishing. I am advised that the cable has existed in its current location for a decade. (3) I am advised that no notification has been received by the Department of Fisheries of damage to, or displacement of, the cable from fishing. This is no reflection on the minister, but this is, in my view, a classic case of Canberra-based bureaucrats making a decision with absolutely no knowledge of what they are doing.
(2) Is there any evidence that this measure, as proposed, has any validity? (3) Has the Department of Fisheries ever received any notification that fishing has caused damage to, or displacement of, the cable? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for some notice of the question. (1) I have already written to the commonwealth Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Hon Helen Coonan, expressing my strong reservations about the proposed exclusion fishing zone in the vicinity of the telecommunications cable off the Perth metropolitan coast. (2) In my view, there appears to be little justification for a total closure to all fishing. I am advised that the cable has existed in its current location for a decade. (3) I am advised that no notification has been received by the Department of Fisheries of damage to, or displacement of, the cable from fishing. This is no reflection on the minister, but this is, in my view, a classic case of Canberra-based bureaucrats making a decision with absolutely no knowledge of what they are doing.
(3) Has the Department of Fisheries ever received any notification that fishing has caused damage to, or displacement of, the cable? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for some notice of the question. (1) I have already written to the commonwealth Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Hon Helen Coonan, expressing my strong reservations about the proposed exclusion fishing zone in the vicinity of the telecommunications cable off the Perth metropolitan coast. (2) In my view, there appears to be little justification for a total closure to all fishing. I am advised that the cable has existed in its current location for a decade. (3) I am advised that no notification has been received by the Department of Fisheries of damage to, or displacement of, the cable from fishing. This is no reflection on the minister, but this is, in my view, a classic case of Canberra-based bureaucrats making a decision with absolutely no knowledge of what they are doing.
Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for some notice of the question. (1) I have already written to the commonwealth Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Hon Helen Coonan, expressing my strong reservations about the proposed exclusion fishing zone in the vicinity of the telecommunications cable off the Perth metropolitan coast. (2) In my view, there appears to be little justification for a total closure to all fishing. I am advised that the cable has existed in its current location for a decade. (3) I am advised that no notification has been received by the Department of Fisheries of damage to, or displacement of, the cable from fishing. This is no reflection on the minister, but this is, in my view, a classic case of Canberra-based bureaucrats making a decision with absolutely no knowledge of what they are doing.
I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for some notice of the question. (1) I have already written to the commonwealth Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Hon Helen Coonan, expressing my strong reservations about the proposed exclusion fishing zone in the vicinity of the telecommunications cable off the Perth metropolitan coast. (2) In my view, there appears to be little justification for a total closure to all fishing. I am advised that the cable has existed in its current location for a decade. (3) I am advised that no notification has been received by the Department of Fisheries of damage to, or displacement of, the cable from fishing. This is no reflection on the minister, but this is, in my view, a classic case of Canberra-based bureaucrats making a decision with absolutely no knowledge of what they are doing.
(1) I have already written to the commonwealth Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Hon Helen Coonan, expressing my strong reservations about the proposed exclusion fishing zone in the vicinity of the telecommunications cable off the Perth metropolitan coast. (2) In my view, there appears to be little justification for a total closure to all fishing. I am advised that the cable has existed in its current location for a decade. (3) I am advised that no notification has been received by the Department of Fisheries of damage to, or displacement of, the cable from fishing. This is no reflection on the minister, but this is, in my view, a classic case of Canberra-based bureaucrats making a decision with absolutely no knowledge of what they are doing.
(2) In my view, there appears to be little justification for a total closure to all fishing. I am advised that the cable has existed in its current location for a decade. (3) I am advised that no notification has been received by the Department of Fisheries of damage to, or displacement of, the cable from fishing. This is no reflection on the minister, but this is, in my view, a classic case of Canberra-based bureaucrats making a decision with absolutely no knowledge of what they are doing.
(3) I am advised that no notification has been received by the Department of Fisheries of damage to, or displacement of, the cable from fishing. This is no reflection on the minister, but this is, in my view, a classic case of Canberra-based bureaucrats making a decision with absolutely no knowledge of what they are doing.
This is no reflection on the minister, but this is, in my view, a classic case of Canberra-based bureaucrats making a decision with absolutely no knowledge of what they are doing.

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