Shark Taskforce

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:38): My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Primary Industries. Is the $500,000 funding package delivered to Surf Life Saving SA on the recommendation of the Shark Taskforce going to help prevent shark attacks on the Yorke and Eyre peninsulas? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr ELLIS: The Shark Taskforce was formed after four shark attack deaths, two on the Yorke Peninsula and two on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula. In response, the taskforce has delivered $500,000 to Surf Life Saving SA, of which there are no clubs on the YP or the EP aside from Whyalla which I don't understand to be a very popular surfing destination, and the expansion of the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter service to survey coastline predominantly south of the city, rather than where the shark attacks have actually occurred.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Police) (14:39): I thank the member for Narungga for his question because I think all members and, of course, all South Australians are very aware of the devastating impact that shark attacks can have on local communities in particular. We have had a number of instances not just here in South Australia but around the country of shark attacks and in particular fatalities arising from shark attacks. For regional communities, when a local member of the community is attacked, let alone killed in one of these attacks, it is absolutely devastating for the community.

It has been a challenging issue for governments of both political persuasions in South Australia in recent decades to grapple with, because South Australia has a very long coastline across not only the member for Narungga's territory, the Yorke Peninsula, but also across the member for Flinders' territory and Eyre Peninsula, let alone some of those beaches a little closer to where we are today, whether they are metropolitan beaches or beaches around the south coast and, of course, down in the South-East. These are beaches that are outside the metropolitan area, located in smaller regional communities, and many of these beaches sought out by surfers can be quite remote and difficult to access.

What this government has done is build on the work of previous governments and extend shark patrols, which the member for Narungga rightly says are predominantly within the metropolitan area and also the south coast, not too far from Adelaide, but in addition to that has entered into a $500,000 program for a series of initiatives with Surf Life Saving SA to try to expand the reach of—this is perhaps not the best way of putting it—shark prevention activities.

This includes, for example, better signage at beaches around South Australia alerting swimmers and surfers to the potential presence of sharks and to the dangers of swimming in remote beaches where help is not often readily at hand, education programs and also trying to diversify the way in which we patrol for the presence of sharks at beaches where people might be swimming and surfing using relatively new technologies, for example, away from the fixed and rotary wing shark patrols including using drones and making sure that not only is there an investment in the necessary equipment but also the training to use those as well, as well as the necessary reporting mechanisms.

I don't think anyone can pretend that a government is ever able to come up with a series of initiatives that will completely and fully protect the community of South Australia from the risk of shark attacks given the nature of the state's geography, its coastline and the attraction of some of our remote beaches for swimming and surfing activities, but I am pleased that this government has extended the efforts of previous governments to make more resources available for the community to try to lessen the frequency of these horrendous incidents occurring in our state.