❓ The Minister for Fisheries updates the house on the shark hazard mitigation program, highlighting the inclusion of a new, locally manufactured shark deterrent device in the rebate scheme and other shark mitigation efforts.
AnsweredQoN 199Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SHARKS — HAZARD
MITIGATION
199. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented investment in shark hazard mitigation
measures that help keep Western Australians
safe at the beach. Can the minister update the house on this government's
world-first personal shark deterrent rebate scheme, including how many Western
Australians have taken up the rebate since the program was introduced?
MITIGATION
199. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented investment in shark hazard mitigation
measures that help keep Western Australians
safe at the beach. Can the minister update the house on this government's
world-first personal shark deterrent rebate scheme, including how many Western
Australians have taken up the rebate since the program was introduced?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question,
and I am very pleased to inform the house of yet another enhancement to the
McGowan government's comprehensive shark hazard mitigation program—the
approval and addition of a third device to the world-first personal shark
deterrent rebate scheme. This $200 shark deterrent rebate will be extended to
eligible purchases of the Rpela v2 surf device, which is manufactured here in Western
Australia. The inclusion of the device in the rebate scheme is testament to not
only Rpela but also the manufacturing capability of some of our local Western Australian
businesses.
The
McGowan government aims to keep our state as safe as possible, but I was
particularly pleased that this new device was developed, designed and
manufactured in Osborne Park, supporting local jobs. It is a shining example of
the kind of advanced manufacturing that represents the future of quality
manufacturing in our great state. I had the opportunity to visit with a local
surfing celebrity in the form of the member for Scarborough! The member for
Scarborough inspected in detail the fitting of this device to a surfboard. It
is very much an integral part of the device, so it is almost ubiquitous in terms of the surfing experience for surfers. It
works by generating an electromagnetic field around the surfboard to deter
sharks. I am informed that it is a little like a punch on the nose; it is
something that sharks do not like. It was independently tested by Cardno
Australia at Salisbury Island in Western Australia, and when active, it
significantly reduces the probability of a shark bite from approximately 75 per
cent down to 25 per cent.
The shark deterrent rebate is a world first and it is
available to Western Australian residents; proof of WA residence must be
sighted when it is purchased. It joins the Ocean Guardian Freedom and the Ocean
Guardian Freedom Surf Device for a total of three shark deterrent devices. It
has been taken up incredibly well by surfers and divers alike, with over 7 000
rebates claimed since its introduction. People living in Mandurah—member
for Mandurah—Bunbury, Bibra Lake, Busselton and Esperance make up the
top five purchases by postcode. No product offers a 100 per cent guarantee of
protection, but this is part of risk mitigation and we always encourage people
to check out Sea Sense.
As part of our shark mitigation
program, in the last budget $12 million was allocated for Surf Life Saving WA
to deliver beach and aerial patrols until 2025, securing that valuable service
into the future. We also provided a $5 million funding boost to shark hazard
mitigation, including grant funding for local governments to install and
replace beach enclosures, and $2.8 million for opportunistic shark tagging.
We base our decisions on evidence
and science, unlike members opposite who seem to draw their policy advice from
the newspaper of the day. This is a great addition to the shark deterrence
strategy, and I thank the member for Scarborough for joining me.
and I am very pleased to inform the house of yet another enhancement to the
McGowan government's comprehensive shark hazard mitigation program—the
approval and addition of a third device to the world-first personal shark
deterrent rebate scheme. This $200 shark deterrent rebate will be extended to
eligible purchases of the Rpela v2 surf device, which is manufactured here in Western
Australia. The inclusion of the device in the rebate scheme is testament to not
only Rpela but also the manufacturing capability of some of our local Western Australian
businesses.
The
McGowan government aims to keep our state as safe as possible, but I was
particularly pleased that this new device was developed, designed and
manufactured in Osborne Park, supporting local jobs. It is a shining example of
the kind of advanced manufacturing that represents the future of quality
manufacturing in our great state. I had the opportunity to visit with a local
surfing celebrity in the form of the member for Scarborough! The member for
Scarborough inspected in detail the fitting of this device to a surfboard. It
is very much an integral part of the device, so it is almost ubiquitous in terms of the surfing experience for surfers. It
works by generating an electromagnetic field around the surfboard to deter
sharks. I am informed that it is a little like a punch on the nose; it is
something that sharks do not like. It was independently tested by Cardno
Australia at Salisbury Island in Western Australia, and when active, it
significantly reduces the probability of a shark bite from approximately 75 per
cent down to 25 per cent.
The shark deterrent rebate is a world first and it is
available to Western Australian residents; proof of WA residence must be
sighted when it is purchased. It joins the Ocean Guardian Freedom and the Ocean
Guardian Freedom Surf Device for a total of three shark deterrent devices. It
has been taken up incredibly well by surfers and divers alike, with over 7 000
rebates claimed since its introduction. People living in Mandurah—member
for Mandurah—Bunbury, Bibra Lake, Busselton and Esperance make up the
top five purchases by postcode. No product offers a 100 per cent guarantee of
protection, but this is part of risk mitigation and we always encourage people
to check out Sea Sense.
As part of our shark mitigation
program, in the last budget $12 million was allocated for Surf Life Saving WA
to deliver beach and aerial patrols until 2025, securing that valuable service
into the future. We also provided a $5 million funding boost to shark hazard
mitigation, including grant funding for local governments to install and
replace beach enclosures, and $2.8 million for opportunistic shark tagging.
We base our decisions on evidence
and science, unlike members opposite who seem to draw their policy advice from
the newspaper of the day. This is a great addition to the shark deterrence
strategy, and I thank the member for Scarborough for joining me.
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