Dog Fence

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (14:18): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries—

Ms Luethen interjecting:

The SPEAKER: If you want to rephrase the question, you will get another go.

Mr TRELOAR: My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister inform the house on the progress to rebuild the South Australian Dog Fence?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:18): I thank the member for Flinders for that very important question. I know that he knows how important the dog fence is here in South Australia. As a sheep producer, he knows that his constituency is very, very reliant on the dog fence. What I might say is that, after a collaboration, the Marshall Liberal government, the Morrison Coalition government and the industry have come together to raise $25 million to rebuild 1,600 kilometres of a 2,150-kilometre fence.

What I will say is that the bigger picture is that it is a piece of national infrastructure. It's a piece of infrastructure of significance. It's a fence. It's somewhere in the vicinity of over 5,500 kilometres long, nationally, and it does make a difference to many people's lives, making sure that dog fence is in good shape.

We have seen fit to bring that $25 million to fruition through a collaboration of governments and industry and to get on with the job of rebuilding the fence. The industry's contribution as part of that commitment will safeguard an industry that is under siege at the moment. Previously, in the 2016-17 year we saw approximately 10,000 lambs taken by wild dogs. In the 2017-18 year, it has been reported that over 20,000 lambs have been taken by wild dogs.

Today's market price for lamb is at a record high: $8.50 a kilogram for lamb at the moment. We also have the value-add of the wool industry and the skin industry, which has been severely impacted by wild dogs. I know that the member for Stuart is very keen to see the fence replaced. His constituency is now thinking that they have a government that is prepared to support the industry. The red meat sector, the wool industry and the skin sector, all have the ability—

Mr Hughes interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Giles is called to order.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: —to now have a government that cares about their industry and cares about those pastoralists who have been lying awake at night wondering just how many sheep, how many lambs, how many calves, how many animals are going to be taken by the wild dogs. It's a $4.3 billion livestock industry that has been heavily impacted. It's about a $5.4 billion industry here in South Australia, with the combination of the wool and the skins, that now has a government that is looking to put infrastructure in place to safeguard those industries.

The Minister for Infrastructure has just outlined this government's commitment to Thomas Foods International, a great South Australian family business here in South Australia that is now reinvesting in South Australia. Several hundred million dollars are going to be put on the table for that new rebuild.

What the dog fence program will do is safeguard livestock, safeguard the viability of those pastoralists. It also underpins the $5.4 billion industry here in South Australia as one of our leading economic drivers in the food sector, not only domestically but export. Thomas Foods exports to 84 countries around the world, just like many of the processors do, and we have a number of large processors here. The dog fence is about protecting young and vulnerable animals—sheep, lambs, calves, goats—and Australian wildlife. Not only are the dogs taking those animals but they are moving south, so it is more important than ever that we rebuild that fence, renew that fence—the 1,600 kilometres of fence that needs to be rebuilt.

I am sure that industry is now looking to raise the money. The state government have put their $10 million on the table, as has the Morrison Coalition government. It's great news for the livestock industry and it's great news for South Australia—#RegionsMatter.