Fox Bounty

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (15:08): Supplementary question: will the fox bounty continue to be funded under the Future Drought Fund?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for her supplementary question. From memory, the fox bounty was not funded through the Future Drought Fund. I will double-check that but I am pretty sure that's the case. As has been referred to previously in this place, the fox bounty was initiated with an amount of $233,000, from memory—I will check that if I'm incorrect—and is designed to be able to assist landholders who are utilising the ability to trap foxes.

It is currently expected to be fully subscribed until about October this year and I have initiated a review so that we know how successful or otherwise it has been. Certainly, I have had informal feedback that it has been appreciated, but that the baiting program, which is administered along with Landscape boards, has a far broader reach. I'm trying to recall the figures, but many thousands more baits are used and therefore contribute far more greatly to fox eradication than the fox bounty scheme.

However, it has served a purpose and it is important that it is now reviewed for its cost-benefit analysis. I have asked my department to provide that review. Once that has been completed, I will be able to give further consideration to how we best address the issue of foxes.