❓ Hon Julie Freeman questions the Minister for Agriculture and Food on the government's response to the rapid spread of polyphagous shot-hole borer, while the Minister details funding and management plans already in place.
AnsweredQoN 1237Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Polyphagous shot-hole borer
1237. Hon Julie Freeman to
the Minister for Agriculture and Food:
I refer to the rapid
spread of polyphagous shot-hole borer, which poses a serious threat to WA
horticulture.
(1) Why has the minister remained silent on the
latest escalation, given that the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development has confirmed that the pest is spreading rapidly?
(2) Will the government commit to a fully funded
statewide containment and support package before the pest reaches major
food-producing regions?
(3) Will the government provide assistance for
householders to remove infected trees?
(4) Will the government fund and expand the
pesticide/fungicide capsule treatment, shown to be about 90% effective in Perth
trials, and support BioHerbicides Australia's pending Australian Pesticides and
Veterinary Medicines Authority permit to allow treatment at scale?
1237. Hon Julie Freeman to
the Minister for Agriculture and Food:
I refer to the rapid
spread of polyphagous shot-hole borer, which poses a serious threat to WA
horticulture.
(1) Why has the minister remained silent on the
latest escalation, given that the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development has confirmed that the pest is spreading rapidly?
(2) Will the government commit to a fully funded
statewide containment and support package before the pest reaches major
food-producing regions?
(3) Will the government provide assistance for
householders to remove infected trees?
(4) Will the government fund and expand the
pesticide/fungicide capsule treatment, shown to be about 90% effective in Perth
trials, and support BioHerbicides Australia's pending Australian Pesticides and
Veterinary Medicines Authority permit to allow treatment at scale?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(4) As I announced on 19 June 2025, WA
has moved to a management and containment regime, as recommended by the National
Management Group, made up of Australia's leading plant health scientists. The National
Management Group confirmed the formal arrangement of the containment plan at a
meeting on 14 November 2025 and finalised an additional $23.3 million funding
package to support the nationally agreed plan, bringing the total response in funding
to $77.8 million. The WA Government, through the WA
Agricultural Research Collaboration, has provided $2.17 million in funding to
support research projects in partnership with the University of Western
Australia, Curtin University and Murdoch University. The WA Government is also delivering
$2.7 million for the WA Tree Recovery program to help revegetate Perth's urban
canopy impacted by the shot-hole borer. The national response will now focus on
targeted surveillance and tree management in the containment zone, where
infested trees pose a greater risk of spreading the borer, and that will be
undertaken by DPIRD.
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(4) As I announced on 19 June 2025, WA
has moved to a management and containment regime, as recommended by the National
Management Group, made up of Australia's leading plant health scientists. The National
Management Group confirmed the formal arrangement of the containment plan at a
meeting on 14 November 2025 and finalised an additional $23.3 million funding
package to support the nationally agreed plan, bringing the total response in funding
to $77.8 million. The WA Government, through the WA
Agricultural Research Collaboration, has provided $2.17 million in funding to
support research projects in partnership with the University of Western
Australia, Curtin University and Murdoch University. The WA Government is also delivering
$2.7 million for the WA Tree Recovery program to help revegetate Perth's urban
canopy impacted by the shot-hole borer. The national response will now focus on
targeted surveillance and tree management in the containment zone, where
infested trees pose a greater risk of spreading the borer, and that will be
undertaken by DPIRD.
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