❓ A parliamentary question addresses delays in bioprospecting contract approval and the relocation of a bioprospecting company, prompting a ministerial response emphasizing due diligence and disputing the reason for the company's move.
AnsweredQoN 136Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
A company known as Proteomics International Pty Ltd applied to the Department of Conservation and Land Management in March 2001 to undertake bioprospecting in Western Australia and it has only just been given a copy of the draft contract. (1) Recognising that section 33 of the Conservation and Land Management Act provides that a function of the department is to promote and encourage the use of flora for therapeutic, scientific or horticultural purposes for the good of people in this State, will the minister explain why it has taken so long to prepare a draft contract between CALM and a company that wishes to use the State’s flora? (2) Can the minister confirm that the company made formal application in March 2001 to undertake biodiscovery work in Western Australia? (3) Will the minister now direct her department to expedite this application in light of the three-year delay that the company has already suffered? (4) Is the minister aware that the only company to be given a terrestrial bioprospecting licence in WA has moved its headquarters to Queensland, in part because of the difficulty it encountered in trying to work with CALM? The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(1) Recognising that section 33 of the Conservation and Land Management Act provides that a function of the department is to promote and encourage the use of flora for therapeutic, scientific or horticultural purposes for the good of people in this State, will the minister explain why it has taken so long to prepare a draft contract between CALM and a company that wishes to use the State’s flora? (2) Can the minister confirm that the company made formal application in March 2001 to undertake biodiscovery work in Western Australia? (3) Will the minister now direct her department to expedite this application in light of the three-year delay that the company has already suffered? (4) Is the minister aware that the only company to be given a terrestrial bioprospecting licence in WA has moved its headquarters to Queensland, in part because of the difficulty it encountered in trying to work with CALM? The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(2) Can the minister confirm that the company made formal application in March 2001 to undertake biodiscovery work in Western Australia? (3) Will the minister now direct her department to expedite this application in light of the three-year delay that the company has already suffered? (4) Is the minister aware that the only company to be given a terrestrial bioprospecting licence in WA has moved its headquarters to Queensland, in part because of the difficulty it encountered in trying to work with CALM? The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(3) Will the minister now direct her department to expedite this application in light of the three-year delay that the company has already suffered? (4) Is the minister aware that the only company to be given a terrestrial bioprospecting licence in WA has moved its headquarters to Queensland, in part because of the difficulty it encountered in trying to work with CALM? The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(4) Is the minister aware that the only company to be given a terrestrial bioprospecting licence in WA has moved its headquarters to Queensland, in part because of the difficulty it encountered in trying to work with CALM? The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(1) Recognising that section 33 of the Conservation and Land Management Act provides that a function of the department is to promote and encourage the use of flora for therapeutic, scientific or horticultural purposes for the good of people in this State, will the minister explain why it has taken so long to prepare a draft contract between CALM and a company that wishes to use the State’s flora? (2) Can the minister confirm that the company made formal application in March 2001 to undertake biodiscovery work in Western Australia? (3) Will the minister now direct her department to expedite this application in light of the three-year delay that the company has already suffered? (4) Is the minister aware that the only company to be given a terrestrial bioprospecting licence in WA has moved its headquarters to Queensland, in part because of the difficulty it encountered in trying to work with CALM? The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(2) Can the minister confirm that the company made formal application in March 2001 to undertake biodiscovery work in Western Australia? (3) Will the minister now direct her department to expedite this application in light of the three-year delay that the company has already suffered? (4) Is the minister aware that the only company to be given a terrestrial bioprospecting licence in WA has moved its headquarters to Queensland, in part because of the difficulty it encountered in trying to work with CALM? The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(3) Will the minister now direct her department to expedite this application in light of the three-year delay that the company has already suffered? (4) Is the minister aware that the only company to be given a terrestrial bioprospecting licence in WA has moved its headquarters to Queensland, in part because of the difficulty it encountered in trying to work with CALM? The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(4) Is the minister aware that the only company to be given a terrestrial bioprospecting licence in WA has moved its headquarters to Queensland, in part because of the difficulty it encountered in trying to work with CALM? The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
The SPEAKER: That question was excessively long. I almost had to stand and ask the member to finish it quickly. Questions without notice should be far shorter than that question. Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
I thank the member for his question and for some notice of it. (1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(1) The department has a responsibility not only to promote and encourage the development of possible therapeutic benefits arising from biodiscoveries but also to ensure that people of this State gain an equitable share of financial and other benefits generated from bioprospecting and biodiscovery activities. (2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(2) The company has had a number of discussions with departmental staff and has submitted a number of requests but has yet to provide all the information requested by CALM. (3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(3) CALM is expediting this application and I expect CALM will complete a bioprospecting licence once the department and the applicant have reached an agreement that is both in the State’s best interests and acceptable to the applicant. (4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
(4) The registered office of Bioprospect Pty Ltd is in Western Australia. I am informed that the company moved its operational headquarters to Queensland because of internal company management matters.
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