❓ Ms. Davies questions the Premier on the lack of support for drought-stricken southern rangelands pastoralists, despite agreements made at the National Drought Summit. The Premier responds by outlining existing initiatives and acknowledging the complexity of the issue.
AnsweredQoN 987Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL DROUGHT SUMMIT
987. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I
refer to last year's National Drought Summit, attended by the Premier
and the Minister for Agriculture and Food, whereby it was agreed that it
was the responsibility of state governments to look after fodder and animal
welfare assistance for water-deprived farmers. Why has the Premier and his
ministers turned their backs on drought-ravaged southern rangelands
pastoralists in desperate need of feed and water for their stock?
987. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I
refer to last year's National Drought Summit, attended by the Premier
and the Minister for Agriculture and Food, whereby it was agreed that it
was the responsibility of state governments to look after fodder and animal
welfare assistance for water-deprived farmers. Why has the Premier and his
ministers turned their backs on drought-ravaged southern rangelands
pastoralists in desperate need of feed and water for their stock?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question.
I realise that the Leader of the Nationals WA cares deeply about our farming communities. Obviously, as I outlined yesterday, we
have taken a lot of initiatives. I will not read them all out, but one
initiative I indicated yesterday is that we are providing emergency water to a range
of shires around Western Australia.
Mr V.A. Catania : That is in
the wheatbelt. Do you know what the difference is?
Mr M. McGOWAN : I said ''a
range of shires'' around Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : Listen, members;
you might learn.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I realise that
as the member lives in the ''Shire of Nedlands'', he might not
understand that.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member for North West Central,
you cannot interject and get upset when someone interjects back. You have to
take it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : If you
interject with nastiness, you invite a response.
We have also spent $1.1 million at
18 sites to refurbish and develop new water supplies, improving dams,
catchments and storage of off-stream strategic emergency livestock water
supplies in affected areas. Because the department has been visiting numerous
pastoralists and farmers who have been impacted, we are also assisting with the
agistment process, whereby pastoralists are able to move stock more quickly
between stations to ensure animals are safe, with adequate access to food and
water. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's
dry season response group will ensure animal welfare. If farmers contact the
DPIRD dry season response group, they can receive some assistance.
As I said yesterday, it is not easy
to solve the problem of drought. I think the commonwealth government would
probably admit that in the eastern states, it is not an easy problem to solve.
It has been developing for a long time, because the condition of the southern
rangelands has been deteriorating now for many years. There has been
overgrazing and there needs to be some recognition of that. Pastoralists
understand that there are bad seasons, and they understand that there are often
bad seasons. Admittedly, it is very bad for some of them now, but the
government is supporting people out there as best we can.
I realise that the Leader of the Nationals WA cares deeply about our farming communities. Obviously, as I outlined yesterday, we
have taken a lot of initiatives. I will not read them all out, but one
initiative I indicated yesterday is that we are providing emergency water to a range
of shires around Western Australia.
Mr V.A. Catania : That is in
the wheatbelt. Do you know what the difference is?
Mr M. McGOWAN : I said ''a
range of shires'' around Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : Listen, members;
you might learn.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I realise that
as the member lives in the ''Shire of Nedlands'', he might not
understand that.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member for North West Central,
you cannot interject and get upset when someone interjects back. You have to
take it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : If you
interject with nastiness, you invite a response.
We have also spent $1.1 million at
18 sites to refurbish and develop new water supplies, improving dams,
catchments and storage of off-stream strategic emergency livestock water
supplies in affected areas. Because the department has been visiting numerous
pastoralists and farmers who have been impacted, we are also assisting with the
agistment process, whereby pastoralists are able to move stock more quickly
between stations to ensure animals are safe, with adequate access to food and
water. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's
dry season response group will ensure animal welfare. If farmers contact the
DPIRD dry season response group, they can receive some assistance.
As I said yesterday, it is not easy
to solve the problem of drought. I think the commonwealth government would
probably admit that in the eastern states, it is not an easy problem to solve.
It has been developing for a long time, because the condition of the southern
rangelands has been deteriorating now for many years. There has been
overgrazing and there needs to be some recognition of that. Pastoralists
understand that there are bad seasons, and they understand that there are often
bad seasons. Admittedly, it is very bad for some of them now, but the
government is supporting people out there as best we can.
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