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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-11-22 Daily Xml
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CEDUNA QUARANTINE STATION

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:10): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question in relation to the Ceduna quarantine station.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Ceduna quarantine station, located on the Eyre Highway just west of Ceduna, is a vital roadblock for biosecurity threats to South Australia's agricultural and horticultural sectors. As a result of the advocacy of the members for Flinders and Chaffey in another place, the former minister, after months of community anxiety, finally announced earlier this year that this vital station, along with the Yamba quarantine station, would remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I understand that in May 2011 the eight staff who operate the Ceduna station, who are employed by Biosecurity SA within the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA, were shifted from their former office accommodation to a converted container. I am advised this was a temporary solution until a new transportable office arrived. My information is that this office arrived shortly thereafter and was suitable for use by the hardworking staff at Ceduna by late June. However, information provided to the opposition is that in the five months since the new office arrived, quarantine station staff have not been able to gain access to this new accommodation and have been forced to use the unsuitable temporary container instead. My questions are:

1. Can the minister confirm that the new transportable office was available for use by Biosecurity SA staff in June 2011?

2. Is the minister able to explain why the eight staff members have been forced to use a temporary container whilst the more suitable transportable office has remained locked and gathering dust?

3. Is the minister satisfied that the temporary office container is compliant with occupational health and safety standards?

4. Will the minister seek to relocate these staff members into the more appropriate and available accommodation as a matter of urgency, or report back to the chamber why this cannot be done?

5. Will the minister guarantee that the quarantine station will remain in Ceduna operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, indefinitely?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:12): I thank the honourable member for his important question. I am not aware of the arrangements for the facilitating of staff at the Ceduna quarantine station, so I very much appreciate the honourable member bringing that to my attention. If, in fact, there are issues of concern or problems about those amenities I am happy to look into it and attempt to address those as soon as is reasonably possible. I am happy to give that commitment to the honourable member.

In terms of particular facilities being open or not open, as I said I do not have that information, but I do appreciate being given the information making me aware that there may be an issue there. I will follow that up.

I want to put on the record that PIRSA is very committed to the facilities in relation to these quarantine stations. I recently visited the Yamba quarantine station in the Riverland and saw the new facility that they hope to move into by the end of this year. It is a magnificent building, and it will be a significant improvement on their current arrangement, which is a hut-like facility. It is very spacious, a very attractive environment and offers extremely good visibility from anywhere inside the building in terms of being able to see approaching traffic. They have also used their initiative and worked with the department of transport in building a weigh station. They have combined moneys and functions and, instead of having a weighbridge up the road, it will all be facilitated together in one location. It is a very attractive facility.

We can see that PIRSA is very much concerned and interested in ensuring that staff work in an environment that has suitable amenities and protections. These people have to really face the elements. They have to get outside the building and go to vehicles in all sorts of weather conditions, so it is important that they are afforded some sort of protection there as well. In terms of the operating hours, I am satisfied with the current arrangements and have no intention of making any changes at this point in time.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Dawkins has a supplementary question.

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