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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-07-04 Daily Xml
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Feral Pigs

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:20): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services, representing the Minister for Environment and Water, the Hon. David Speirs—or the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon. David Ridgway, may be able to answer this—

The PRESIDENT: Well, just choose one for now, Mr Pangallo. We will go with the Minister for Human Services at this point in time.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: —on the feral animal problem on Kangaroo Island.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: On a recent visit to Kangaroo Island I had the pleasure of meeting with the island's soon-to-be-departed commissioner, Wendy Campana, and Mayor Peter Clements. During my discussions with the commissioner, she raised concerns about the feral pig population on the island, which is causing considerable damage to pastoral land and has caused $1.6 million of economic loss in recent times. This is on top of the already well-documented environmental damage being caused by the island's feral cat population and plans to build a fence. My questions are:

1. Can the minister provide details to the house on what the government is doing to curb the feral pig population on Kangaroo Island?

2. Can the minister also provide information on what systems will be implemented to reduce the number of feral cats on the island and whether this includes using lethal chemicals?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:22): I thank the honourable member for his important question. I will certainly take the issue of feral pigs on notice. I think I heard somewhere, or I read somewhere, quite recently that Kangaroo Island was celebrating the fact that they had just recently managed to eradicate the feral goat population from Kangaroo Island, which I think is a fantastic initiative.

Under the stewardship of the former federal Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, I know that the endangered species commissioner—I think that was a position that was created under his administration—has taken a very strong interest in the feral cat population of Kangaroo Island. I know that the local community also has taken a number of steps, and the councils in particular have adopted policies as best they can to control the population through cat curfews and limiting the number of cats per household.

In relation to the matter of feral pigs, I am happy to take that on notice and refer that to the Minister for Environment in another place and get back to the member with an answer.

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