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❓ Question regarding the Minister's awareness of changes to Surf Life Saving WA's beach closure policy before issuing a media statement on shark mitigation success. The Minister acknowledges the comment on beach closures was based on statistics without considering variables.

AnsweredQoN 1246Legislative Council

Asked

15 May 2014

Member

Hon Lynn MacLaren

Portfolio

Fisheries

QuestionView source ↗

(1) Before the Minister issued his media statement on 7 May 2014 about the success of the shark mitigation policy, was the Minister aware that the Surf Life Saving of Western Australia policy on beach closures was changed in January 2014? For example, did the Minister know that, previously, a beach closure was triggered if a two-metre or bigger shark came within one kilometre of the shoreline, and that since January 2014, a two-metre to three-metre shark would be able to come within 500 metres of the shoreline before a beach closure would be triggered?
(2) Does the Minister agree that when one considers this change in policy, it is not an equal comparison to compare the beach closure figures for previous years with the beach closure figures since January 2014?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

24 June 2014

Responded by

Minister for Fisheries

Response time

40 days

(2) The comment with respect to beach closures was based on recorded statistics without assessment of the many variables which may impact on beach closures.

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