Commercial Fisher Licence Fees

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:54): Supplementary: can the minister please inform the chamber how these fishers have been made aware directly of the ability to apply for a fee waiver and is the minister concerned about, quite frankly, fishers' mental health receiving these licence fees today, given many of them have been unable to catch any quota for some months?

The PRESIDENT: The first part of the supplementary question I think is in order. The second part about mental health, I didn't see you going anywhere near that, so provide an answer if you can, please.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:55): I refer the member back to the answer to the original question. I said that my understanding is that they have been advised and I will check what mechanism has been used.

One thing we have certainly been doing is close liaison with the peak bodies that represent the various fisheries. I am aware that those opposite don't seem to value peak bodies very much in any of the agricultural, horticultural or fisheries sectors because they have very little interaction with them, but certainly we have been engaging very closely with the peak bodies since the beginning of the algal bloom. If those opposite would like to actually look at some of the FOIs that they have put in and received they would see that that engagement has been occurring from a very early period in this algal bloom.