South Coast Algal Bloom

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (14:50): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development regarding the harmful algal bloom support package.

Leave granted.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Late last month, after hearing from businesses and fishers that the eligibility requirement for the announced support package was far too narrow, the opposition called for the Labor government to urgently review and change its eligibility criteria. In the wake of a planned rally of fishers at Parliament House yesterday, the government announced that they had changed the eligibility criteria to improve take-up and effectiveness. This was less than 24 hours before the industry's planned rally.

On the ABC's Drive on Monday night, the minister assured listeners that a 15-day turnaround for grant applications will be met. In reply to the opposition's question on air, the minister stated: 'Yes, it will. That has been met already and will continue to be met.' Given the application eligibility has increased and the number of businesses and fishers is likely to increase, my questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister stand by her comments that she made on radio regarding a 15-day turnaround between the initial application for support and funds hitting the bank accounts of our fishers and affected businesses?

2. Can the minister advise the chamber if current resources within the department are sufficient to ensure the 15-day turnaround timeline for applications will be met and, if not, will the government provide additional resourcing to ensure those timelines are met?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for his question. I have heard, I think from the Hon. Nicola Centofanti maybe on that radio program and the Hon. Mr Ben Hood, about this rally. I do not think anyone heard from any of the organisers of the rally—unless that was perhaps the Hon. Ms Centofanti—advising government of this rally. They keep talking about it in a very big way, but there was no particular advice to government about it, as far as I am aware.

In regard to the question of the 15 days, my advice is that that is being met. The only clarification that I think everyone should be aware of is that when all the information is provided, sometimes with any grant program, perhaps an applicant has not provided all the required information, so the department will need to go back to the applicant. Once that information is provided, then the 15-day timeline kicks in. My advice is that all of that is being met at this stage and that resources have not been a problem in terms of meeting that.