❓ Mrs. Godfrey asks about the government's mosquito management strategies in Swan River suburbs. The Minister for Health responds by highlighting increased funding for mosquito control and criticizes the opposition's past performance on the issue.
AnsweredQoN 727Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MOSQUITO
MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS — SWAN RIVER SUBURBS
727. Mrs G.J. GODFREY to the
Minister for Health:
I understand that Western Australia is in for a severe
mosquito season in the coming months, which poses a threat as both a nuisance
and a public health risk in areas at risk of high mosquito populations. Could
the minister update the house on what strategies the state government has taken
to control mosquito populations, particularly in residential areas, such as my
area, that border the Swan River?
MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS — SWAN RIVER SUBURBS
727. Mrs G.J. GODFREY to the
Minister for Health:
I understand that Western Australia is in for a severe
mosquito season in the coming months, which poses a threat as both a nuisance
and a public health risk in areas at risk of high mosquito populations. Could
the minister update the house on what strategies the state government has taken
to control mosquito populations, particularly in residential areas, such as my
area, that border the Swan River?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. Mosquitoes are a
critical issue for this state, particularly for some electorates such as the
member's and in the Peel region because of the total number of
mosquitoes, the difficulties in treating them and the extra work required by
the state government to treat them. As all members know, at the last election
we committed, and have provided, an extra $1 million a year to assist in that
treatment program for mosquitoes. Hence, I was very interested to see a release
by the member for Mandurah, the shadow Minister for Local Government, about
mosquitoes. He made the following comments in the release —
''Dr Hames needs to stop
hiding behind local government, stand up and actually address this serious
threat.''
Mr Templeman said $1 million a year
was a pitiful response to a public health risk that could leave Western
Australians exposed to the debilitating Ross River Virus.
I thought that maybe the member has
a point. What have we done in the treatment of mosquitoes in this state? Since
we have been in government, how hard have we worked? I will talk about some of
the dollar changes. In the last four years, we have gone from $585 000 in 2010–11
to $1.88 million in 2013–14. Not to be outdone by the Treasurer with
laminated graphs, I have with me two graphs. The first one shows the period
from 2010–11 to 2013–14—that is, the last four years of
our government. We can see on that graph the increase in funding that this
state government has put into mosquito management. But I thought to myself that
in the former Labor cabinet the member for Mandurah used to be the Minister for
the Environment. He lived down in Mandurah. Mosquitoes were a problem back
then. When I bought my house down there in 2004–05 —
Mr
D.A. Templeman : How long have you lived down there?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Mandurah!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : The member should not start about that!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! That is the last time that I am going to countenance any
shouting in this chamber.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I thought to myself that the member had been down there all
that time. When I bought my house there in about 2004, mosquitoes were
certainly a problem. What happened with funding for mosquito problems in the
Labor years? What happened when it was in office? I have in my hand a graph,
and it does not include the massive increase in funding this year. The massive
increase in funding this year would be off the top of the graph. I would need
another graph to fit in our funding for this year. But this shows the funding
under the Labor Party going back to 2002–03. In the last years of the
Labor government, we can see the column for funding in 2007–08,
compared with our funding last year, which is right at the top of the graph.
There has been a massive increase in funding by this government to assist in
the management of mosquitoes.
Two areas are funded for mosquito
management. Some of the funds go directly through a process called CLAG—the
Contiguous Local Authorities Group scheme. That funding goes to assist local
government, and we fund that in conjunction with local governments. However, in
addition to that, we provide a massive amount of money that goes directly to
fund the total cost—100 per cent of the cost—of helicopters for
the application of larvicide. The graph shows the Peel region funding alone,
and once again there has been a massive increase. As I said before, if we go
back to 2002–03, there was about $80 000; in 2012–13, there was
about $450 000. There has been a massive increase in funding by this government
for the management of mosquitoes in the Peel region. The member for Mandurah
should give some credit to the government for that huge increase in expenditure
by the government.
critical issue for this state, particularly for some electorates such as the
member's and in the Peel region because of the total number of
mosquitoes, the difficulties in treating them and the extra work required by
the state government to treat them. As all members know, at the last election
we committed, and have provided, an extra $1 million a year to assist in that
treatment program for mosquitoes. Hence, I was very interested to see a release
by the member for Mandurah, the shadow Minister for Local Government, about
mosquitoes. He made the following comments in the release —
''Dr Hames needs to stop
hiding behind local government, stand up and actually address this serious
threat.''
Mr Templeman said $1 million a year
was a pitiful response to a public health risk that could leave Western
Australians exposed to the debilitating Ross River Virus.
I thought that maybe the member has
a point. What have we done in the treatment of mosquitoes in this state? Since
we have been in government, how hard have we worked? I will talk about some of
the dollar changes. In the last four years, we have gone from $585 000 in 2010–11
to $1.88 million in 2013–14. Not to be outdone by the Treasurer with
laminated graphs, I have with me two graphs. The first one shows the period
from 2010–11 to 2013–14—that is, the last four years of
our government. We can see on that graph the increase in funding that this
state government has put into mosquito management. But I thought to myself that
in the former Labor cabinet the member for Mandurah used to be the Minister for
the Environment. He lived down in Mandurah. Mosquitoes were a problem back
then. When I bought my house down there in 2004–05 —
Mr
D.A. Templeman : How long have you lived down there?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Mandurah!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : The member should not start about that!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! That is the last time that I am going to countenance any
shouting in this chamber.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I thought to myself that the member had been down there all
that time. When I bought my house there in about 2004, mosquitoes were
certainly a problem. What happened with funding for mosquito problems in the
Labor years? What happened when it was in office? I have in my hand a graph,
and it does not include the massive increase in funding this year. The massive
increase in funding this year would be off the top of the graph. I would need
another graph to fit in our funding for this year. But this shows the funding
under the Labor Party going back to 2002–03. In the last years of the
Labor government, we can see the column for funding in 2007–08,
compared with our funding last year, which is right at the top of the graph.
There has been a massive increase in funding by this government to assist in
the management of mosquitoes.
Two areas are funded for mosquito
management. Some of the funds go directly through a process called CLAG—the
Contiguous Local Authorities Group scheme. That funding goes to assist local
government, and we fund that in conjunction with local governments. However, in
addition to that, we provide a massive amount of money that goes directly to
fund the total cost—100 per cent of the cost—of helicopters for
the application of larvicide. The graph shows the Peel region funding alone,
and once again there has been a massive increase. As I said before, if we go
back to 2002–03, there was about $80 000; in 2012–13, there was
about $450 000. There has been a massive increase in funding by this government
for the management of mosquitoes in the Peel region. The member for Mandurah
should give some credit to the government for that huge increase in expenditure
by the government.
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