Wombat Cull

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:53): My question is to the Premier. As the minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, has the Premier discussed the culling of wombats with the Aboriginal Lands Trust.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:54): The Aboriginal Lands Trust?

An honourable member: The culling of wombats with the Aboriginal Lands Trust.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Yes, thank you very much. I thank the deputy leader for her question. My understanding is that there was an application to the Department for Environment and Water for the Point Pearce Aboriginal community to manage the wombats on one of their cropping properties near Maitland on Yorke Peninsula. This is owned by the Aboriginal Lands Trust. They made the application to the Department for Environment and Water.

Currently, the population of wombats on that property is around 1,200, and they have made an application for the humane removal of 200 of those that have been affected by disease—mange. My understanding is that the mange has been transferred to the dog population in the local area and that is now having a significant effect on the local population at Point Pearce. We take these applications extraordinarily seriously. We don't approve many of these destruction permits, but in this case the department saw fit to provide that approval.