Bushfire Prevention

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:53): My question is to the minister for everything, the Hon. Ian Hunter. Back when he wasn't the minister, I asked former minister, the Hon. John Hill, questions in the other house about bushfire prevention on road reserves and removal of dead timber. That former environment minister said, 'Well, we can't remove the dead timber because the spiders live in there.' Time has moved on and we are at high fire risk. We have received incredible winds this year that have taken a lot more trees and limbs down on the road verges.

My question, therefore, to the minister is: does the minister have a policy now that is different to that of the former minister, the Hon. John Hill, and, if not, will the minister agree to reconsider the opportunities for councils to issue permits to allow service clubs and individual members of the community the opportunity of going and removing the dead timber on the road verges in order to make it look more pristine, and also in order to—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: You come and clean up along our roads, for a start. Come and clean up along our roads—and also in order to reduce the bushfire risk that is getting higher and higher because no-one can clean up the road verges because the spiders can live under the bark and they can live under a few dead leaves.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: You can tell the spiders where they want to live, then.

The PRESIDENT: Can I just make the comment that you don't debate questions. You ask a question and then the minister, hopefully, will answer it. Minister.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:55): It is so difficult to come up with an answer for South Australia's version of Donald Trump, isn't it? It is just incredible. Trying to have a rational argument with a person who doesn't—

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Point of order, sir: does the minister alluding to Donald Trump mean that he believes the Alexandrina Council is like Donald Trump? This is a question asked on behalf of a council trying to protect its community.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: As unlikely as it is, I think most people would understand who I was alluding to. The honourable member may not, but he often feigns these things for poetic devices in this place. He is, after all, a showman and, of course, going off to Canberra, as he intends to do, it will be the ideal place for him. The honourable member has asked these questions in this place previously, and I have given him answers before. He well knows that. I don't believe he has actually forgotten, and yet, somehow, he comes in here hoping we have all forgotten the history of his question and answer sessions so that he can get up here and prosecute an old question all over again with a totally new twist and think that we should actually—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Get on with the answer.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I will; it is quite a large one. I have to draw the chamber's attention to the theatrics that the Hon. Mr Brokenshire thinks he can get away with in here. It is Trump-like in its breathtaking width and breadth—no facts, no substance, allegations repeated ad nauseam, time after time, as if he then expects us to accept them as the truth. I have to say that I have great respect for facts, but I want my facts to come from reputable sources, not those trumped-up ones that come into this chamber out of the mouths of the Hon. David Ridgway and the Hon. Robert Brokenshire. They are two peas in a pod, these people. How did the Hon. David Ridgway describe themselves? Dumb and dumber. That's correct.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Point of order: at no time did I ever describe the Hon. Robert Brokenshire or myself as dumb and dumber. I described the two ministers as dumb and dumber, and I would like the minister to keep his ears open and understand that I was referring to the two of them, not the Hon. Robert Brokenshire and myself.

The PRESIDENT: I would like the honourable Leader of the Opposition to keep his dumb and dumber quotes to himself. Minister.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Point of order: Mr President, would you direct the minister to also do the same.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: First of all, the first person to start talking about dumb and dumber, that I saw, was the Hon. Mr Ridgway. So, let's stop playing the theatrics.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Let's stop playing the theatrics, and let's be a little bit more serious about question time. Minister, can you finish your answer.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I have not even started yet, sir. Native vegetation plays a vital role in the health and prosperity of South Australia's ecosystems and communities and in supporting natural resource-based industries. This includes the pollination of canola, lucerne, oils and fruit industries; providing water purification and filtration for our catchments; and providing South Australians with an essential service of climate change regulation through the capture and storage of carbon dioxide.

To ensure the sustainable use of our native vegetation, the South Australian government has taken steps to ensure the ongoing preservation of what little remains of our native vegetation. The Native Vegetation Act 1991 provides for the clearance of native vegetation in certain circumstances, and permitted clearances are listed in the Native Vegetation Act Regulations 2003 which, I again remind the chamber, this chamber voted for in terms of the act.

Since 1997, significant amendments to the regulations have occurred resulting in their current form being complicated to administer, and we readily admit that. The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources is undertaking reform of its native vegetation policies and procedures, including a regulation review strategy to develop effective regulations. The aims of the review are to reduce regulatory burden for landholders and to establish stronger focus on the value of native vegetation in achieving biodiversity and conservation priorities.

I am advised that the intent of the new regulations will include just four approval pathways, and each of the existing 40 activities will be clearly aligned with one of these pathways. The first of the four pathways is the direct exemptions pathway, which allows for clearance without needing approval. This includes clearance for vehicle tracks and fences, clearance around a house or to maintain infrastructure. The fire management pathway allows for clearance for fire management activities with the approval of the Country Fire Service or undertaken in accordance with the bushfire management area plan. This allows for clearance for fuel breaks, fire access tracks and fuel reduction, and is currently the policy.

The third is the management plan pathway, which allows for the clearance of vegetation in accordance with a management plan that has been approved by the Native Vegetation Council. This allows for the management of regrowth vegetation, roadside vegetation and clearance needed to improve the environment. Finally, the risk assessment pathway allows for clearance for a range of activities with the approval of the Native Vegetation Council. The level of assessment required is determined from the likely level of impact and allows for a quick and simple assessment for the majority of clearances, which generally have low impact. This includes clearance for new houses, subdivisions, infrastructure, buildings and roads.

This will, we hope, improve clarity for the public and streamline administration of the Native Vegetation Act. There was public consultation on the Native Vegetation Draft Regulations and the Native Vegetation Guidelines. I am advised that 60 responses have been received through surveys and formal submissions and I am also advised that the majority of stakeholders are supportive of the new regulations.

As part of the reforms, the Native Vegetation Council has also developed a new customer interface through an online web portal to enable greater clarity for those wishing to undertake clearance. The portal is available at environment.sa.gov.au and has information on clearing and offsetting, heritage agreements, maps, the Native Vegetation Act, reforms and contacts at local natural resources centres across the state. I am also advised that the portal has enabled people to quickly navigate the requirements through a native vegetation checklist.

The government is trying to improve the system to make it even simpler for the likes of the Hon. Mr Brokenshire to understand, but it is already currently the practice that councils have the ability to clear up roadsides in two cases, essentially, both of them to do with safety—one in terms of road safety and the other in terms of fire safety. In terms of fire safety, they need to get appropriate approval from the local agency, which is usually the CFS.