Fisheries Cost Recovery Policy

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister update the house on the progress of the state government's commitment to review PIRSA's fisheries cost recovery policy?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (15:01): Thank you to the member for Flinders, probably one of the most popular MPs in the nation right about now. Well done to him on his re-election. I thank him for his interest in seafood and aquaculture. He represents the people of the capital of seafood in Australia.

I am very proud to say that, as part of our election commitment, the state government is initiating the independent review for Primary Industries and Regions South Australia. This is progressing well as we speak. The policy is about listening to industry and looking at ways that we can reduce cost, reduce red tape and make business more attractive within the seafood industry. Currently, 13 fisheries pay fees into PIRSA based on the cost recovery model. The annual cost paid per licence holder varies between the different sectors: abalone, blue crab, charter boat, Lakes and Coorong fishers, giant crab, prawn, rock lobster and sardines.

The review will take into account the Productivity Commission's 2016 report on marine fisheries and aquaculture, which recommended that cost recovery should be linked as closely as possible to the efficiently incurred costs of essential regulatory services and that all governments should be transparent in disclosing what those costs are. For me, I have had the pleasure of travelling to two of the major fishing sectors in this state. I firstly went down to the Limestone Coast and met with the majority of the fishing sector, then I was hosted by the member for Flinders over on Eyre Peninsula. We looked at a number of the industry groups. We listened to their ideas and their concerns, of which there are many.

The fisheries industry directly employ about 6,000 people, and they have real concerns about how they are dealing with power costs and how they are dealing with the cost of doing business. Most importantly, they are looking at ways that they can enter new markets, grow their businesses and employ more people, and that is what this government is all about. We are about growing business, employing more people and making sure we retain our regional communities, because we all know that regional communities are always under the pump when it comes to retaining that workforce and retaining the skills that are critical particularly to the seafood industry.

Again, South Australian fisheries and aquaculture sectors produced about 76,000 tonnes of seafood in 2016-17, generating a revenue of $908 million. So we are on the cusp of the billion-dollar seafood industry here in South Australia, and I'm proud to say that this government is there to support the seafood industry. We are there to support jobs within the seafood industry but, just as importantly, we are there to reduce the cost of doing business within the seafood sector.