Wombat Cull

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Treasurer, representing the Premier, a question about the Premier's comments in the other place about the wombat population on the Yorke Peninsula.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: In question time today, the Premier informed the other place that the wombat population on the Yorke Peninsula numbered some 1,200 and were affected by mange. He claimed that this mange had been transferred to the dogs in the Point Pearce community and was the reason given for the cull of 200 wombats that has been approved by the Department for Environment and Water.

I note that, according to the Natural Resources' own website of the state government—naturalresources.sa.gov.au/northernandyorke—the southern hairy-nosed wombats are described as an endangered species. I also note that no scientist in this state has ever claimed that the number of 1,200 wombats populate that colony on the Yorke Peninsula. I note that where mange exists in wombats, where it has never been identified as existing on the Yorke Peninsula, but where it does exist in wombats, culling is in fact not the appropriate measure to take.

I imagine that the Premier is operating on information from the Aboriginal Lands Trust that the wombats have a brown tinge to them. I am informed by the Wombat Awareness Organisation that a brown tinge on a wombat means it is starving to death, that it is emaciated and dying slowly of starvation. I ask the Treasurer, representing the Premier, where on earth he got his facts that he misrepresented today in the other place on these wombats that are due to be killed?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:20): It won't surprise the honourable member, I am sure, to know that I am no expert on wombats of any particular variety. So I will take the honourable member's question on notice and refer her to the Premier and/or the Minister for Environment and bring back a comprehensive reply on wombats.