Feral Deer

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (15:02): How many alternative action plans that don't include aerial culling have been approved by the landscape board or your department in the last two years?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:03): There are a number of different opportunities to eradicate feral deer. Ground shooting still occurs and is open. What we have, though, is the difference between something that will have a small impact on the numbers of feral deer and something that will actually be helpful in the long term in terms of addressing the huge numbers and the increase in numbers.

I might refer the honourable Leader of the Opposition in this place to some other correspondence which I believe she has received from a landowner. She says she has property in the relevant area and says:

I have been collecting and collating data for years, and my data, shows, the helicopter abatement program, was immediately, effective. Leakage from unfenced neighbours—

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Point of order: relevance. She's not answering my question.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I've asked how many action plans have been approved.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Attorney-General, you're not helping at all. Minister, conclude your remarks so I can move on.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: She goes on:

…the helicopter abatement program, was immediately, effective. Leakage from unfenced neighbours with feral deer made it necessary for us to continue our own eradication program. Weekly, and more often, weather permitting, for 25 years…

Our camera data showed, we were effective, but the deer coming in, just continued.

To address my concerns of hunters or landholders [that a particular hunter] refers to, concerned about eradication of feral deer with aerial shooting programs, I make the following observations,

no mention of tagging deer as required by landholders that choose to keep/farm deer on their own property.

no mention that CWM shooters already have a MOU with parks to do ground shoots for eradication of feral deer.

no mention of the cost to landholders, and burden of having feral deer running around eating pasture and other foods, meant for livestock, or crops not meeting their yield expectation.

no mention it is the landholders responsibility to eradicate feral deer on their property.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, I am losing patience—conclude.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I would encourage the Leader of the Opposition—

The Hon. N.J. Centofanti interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I would encourage the Leader of the Opposition to read the correspondence that has come to her, to listen to the reasons for the eradication program and to start supporting our South Australian farmers.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!