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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-07-02 Daily Xml
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MARINE PARKS

Ms FOX (Bright) (14:23): Can the Minister for Environment and Conservation update the house on the progress and processes of the pilot working groups that he established to assist in the establishment of marine parks?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister Assisting the Premier in Cabinet Business and Public Sector Management) (14:23): I established three pilot marine park working groups in April to provide advice to me on marine parks in the West Coast, South-East and Spencer Gulf areas. The working groups were established to provide advice to me on possible amendments to the outer boundaries and to assist me in determining whether to recommend any adjustments now to the outer boundaries proclaimed in January.

The working groups consisted of representatives from the seafood industry, the conservation sector, local government and state government, and the groups have now provided their advice to me. I am currently considering this advice and am yet to make a decision, but what I can say is that the advice will play a very valuable role in my decision-making process.

The pilot groups were brought together last week to discuss their experience and to provide advice to me about whether the working group process should continue and, if so, how. The general view was that the process had been valuable, notwithstanding that there remain some difference of views between the sectors.

I will be announcing my decision on the adjustments to the boundaries in the coming weeks. As I stated in estimates last week, I will be releasing the advice that I have received from these working groups once I have had a chance to consider it for my decision-making process. So, I was a little surprised when the former shadow minister for the environment said that I would not be releasing these advices provided by the pilot working groups. In fact, his media—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. His media release said this. He set out an extract, from estimates, as follows:

I asked the environment minister, Jay Weatherill, will there be any reporting process before the end of July so that the committee knows whether or not there has been real dialogue and action based on good faith negotiations, or whether it has just been duped and silenced. The minister answered decisively, 'No'.

Well, the difficulty that I have with that is that I have scoured the Hansard and that exchange simply does not occur. In fact, this is what I said in Hansard.

I am happy to make them available to anyone who wants to look at them. I am happy to make the process open, but we want to consider them first.

He has released—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: No, I'll come to you in a moment. His release also repeated the line that 'fishing people will be locked out of half of the state's waters'. Of course, he knows that the overwhelming majority of all the parks will provide for fishing. But he also included the hysterical claim that 'South Australia's water recreation freedom will be put at risk.' This, of course, continues the community campaign that the opposition is trying to whip up around marine parks.

I suppose, really, the crowning glory in this media release is when he, ironically—I think it must have been ironic—calls me 'gutless'. This media release must have been something close to the last act of the former shadow minister for environment. It must have been tossed over the shoulder as he flew out of the building, as he declared, as he confronted his leader, and called for his resignation, but—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Heysen.

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order on the relevance of the minister's comments: it does sound very much like debate rather than an answer to the question.

The SPEAKER: I think the minister is in danger of straying into debate. The Minister for Environment.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I didn't throw this elbow, sir. Can I say that the former shadow minister for the environment (who is the current shadow?) is tossing around the 'gutless' phrase in circumstances where he has so bravely run away from not only the shadow portfolio but also, it seems, the fight. Apparently, he is now going to be back in the running for leader of the opposition on Saturday. Apparently—

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Mr Speaker!

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is now debating. The member for Hammond.

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