❓ Question regarding WA government's plan to control cane toads and the Commonwealth's assistance. Minister outlines the threat and announces $350,000 commitment to DNA mapping research, seeking further funding from the Commonwealth and private sector.
AnsweredQoN 773Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CANE TOADS - CONTROL MEASURES
Mr Speaker - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.G. STEPHENS : Given that cane toads are heading straight for Western Australia, will the minister comment on the additional control measures that are being considered, and in particular the assistance that the government has been able to extract from the commonwealth to respond to the challenges that cane toads present? Mr M. McGOWAN
Mr Speaker - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.G. STEPHENS : Given that cane toads are heading straight for Western Australia, will the minister comment on the additional control measures that are being considered, and in particular the assistance that the government has been able to extract from the commonwealth to respond to the challenges that cane toads present? Mr M. McGOWAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.G. STEPHENS : Given that cane toads are heading straight for Western Australia, will the minister comment on the additional control measures that are being considered, and in particular the assistance that the government has been able to extract from the commonwealth to respond to the challenges that cane toads present? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.G. STEPHENS : Given that cane toads are heading straight for Western Australia, will the minister comment on the additional control measures that are being considered, and in particular the assistance that the government has been able to extract from the commonwealth to respond to the challenges that cane toads present? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Mr T.G. STEPHENS : Given that cane toads are heading straight for Western Australia, will the minister comment on the additional control measures that are being considered, and in particular the assistance that the government has been able to extract from the commonwealth to respond to the challenges that cane toads present? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.G. STEPHENS : Given that cane toads are heading straight for Western Australia, will the minister comment on the additional control measures that are being considered, and in particular the assistance that the government has been able to extract from the commonwealth to respond to the challenges that cane toads present? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.G. STEPHENS : Given that cane toads are heading straight for Western Australia, will the minister comment on the additional control measures that are being considered, and in particular the assistance that the government has been able to extract from the commonwealth to respond to the challenges that cane toads present? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Mr T.G. STEPHENS : Given that cane toads are heading straight for Western Australia, will the minister comment on the additional control measures that are being considered, and in particular the assistance that the government has been able to extract from the commonwealth to respond to the challenges that cane toads present? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
I thank the member for Central Kimberley-Pilbara for the question, as this is a very serious question for the people and the wildlife of his electorate. We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
We are facing a very tough fight with cane toads, which are now about 100 kilometres from the Western Australian border. If we consider that each female cane toad is capable of laying 30 000 eggs a year and if we assume that half of those are female, that gives us an idea of the capacity for cane toads to breed and expand their numbers very quickly. It is a very difficult fight. However, it is a fight worth having and it is a fight to which we are contributing substantial resources to try to have an impact. The reason it is a fight worth having is that cane toads have been found to be one of the world’s most invasive species. They kill everything from a 20-foot crocodile to an insect. Anything, including human beings, that consumes a cane toad or any part of a cane toad will die. It is therefore a fight worth having because of the dramatic effect that they are capable of having upon our native wildlife. The report on the review commissioned by the government that I released on the weekend showed that, depending on the weather conditions, the wet season and so forth, there is a strong prospect that cane toads may arrive in Western Australia within one to three years. It is therefore important that we have an alternative plan to deal with this situation as best we can. We have had a paper - Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Dr S.C. Thomas interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
The SPEAKER : I call to order for the first time the member for Capel! Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The government has had a paper presented to it by Professor Grant Morahan from the University of Western Australia. I have had that paper looked at and I have spoken to other scientists about it. Professor Morahan proposes a DNA mapping of the cane toad genome as a platform for doing further research. That would be a base from which to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. The state government accepts, based upon good scientific advice, that this is an important way of going forward. We have announced that we will commit $350 000 towards his proposal. We are seeking support from the commonwealth for that, and also support from the private sector. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to take his seat. The member for Roe has a very quiet voice but, unfortunately for him, I can hear him. I have given him three warnings. He should not interject when it is inappropriate. Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker, it is very important that the commonwealth come on board with this proposal because a scientific solution is the only real long-term solution to this problem.
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