St Kilda Mangroves

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Has any of the work on the death of the mangroves in St Kilda done by Peri Coleman been used to debrief the minister by his department?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:52): I'm sure my departments have used various sources in terms of the science they rely on to brief me. I'm not sure whether they have relied on Peri Coleman's scientific analysis or not. I know they have spoken to her throughout the process, but I am not sure whether that has been a significant part of the building of an evidence base or not.

What I do know is that we have a very rigorous suite of scientific expertise feeding into this situation, peer-reviewed science. That is the important thing here: the need for peer-reviewed science, not just opinion but—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —actually taking a situation where the various facts, the measurements, the inputs are from scientists not just in South Australia. The panel of scientists that has been established to assist the EPA, the Department for Energy and Mining and the Department for Environment and Water is actually made up of people from across Australia, including some of the foremost experts on the health of mangroves and the establishment of mangrove fields across this nation.

I am very confident that the departments I have responsibility for, and various stakeholder departments in there working through this issue, have drawn on the pre-eminent science available.