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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-10-13 Daily Xml
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Parliamentary Committees

Natural Resources Committee: Kangaroo Island Fact-FindIng Visit

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (16:47): I move:

That the eighth report of the committee, on its Kangaroo Island fact-finding visit 15-16 June 2021, be noted.

Over two days in June 2021, the Natural Resources Committee conducted a fact-finding visit of Kangaroo Island. This is the committee's report of that visit. This was the committee's first field trip since the COVID-19 pandemic and the first opportunity for the committee to visit the region following the devastating 2019 and 2020 bushfires.

On this visit with me was the Presiding Member of the committee, the member for King, and fellow committee members, the member for Hammond and the Hon. Russell Wortley MLC. The member for Mawson and the Mayor of Kangaroo Island also joined the committee for part of the visit. Over those two days of the trip the committee visited a range of sites and spoke with a number of local residents, business owners and regional staff about their experiences of the 2019-20 bushfires and the recovery to date.

On one day the committee met with two local farmers, Mr Sam Mumford and Mr Dave Halloran, who played crucial roles in fighting the 2019-20 bushfires on Kangaroo Island. They offered the committee valuable insight into the fires at a local level. One of the matters raised at this meeting was the importance of keeping roadsides and fence lines clear of vegetation to prevent the spread of fire. Committee members encouraged the local residents to report their concerns by making a submission to the committee's review of the Native Vegetation Act 1991, which is presently underway.

The committee also met with Ms Shauna Black, Executive Director of Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers Limited, who showed members the effects of the fires on the company's pine and blue gum plantations. Committee members were relieved to hear that the fires had not destroyed the timber, but had simply burnt the outside bark, leaving good quality wood inside.

On day 2, the National Parks and Wildlife Service led committee members on a tour of Flinders Chase National Park to see the damage caused by the bushfires and the recovery to date. The committee was joined by a number of National Parks and Wildlife Service staff as well as representatives from the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions.

The committee was excited to see the incredible natural regeneration and revegetation throughout Flinders Chase National Park and hear how the region was rebuilding and recovering from the bushfires that burnt an estimated 96 per cent of the national park. A range of matters were discussed during the tour, including plans for the new Western Visitor Hub to replace the visitor centre destroyed in the bushfires, progress made in eradicating the feral cat and feral pig populations on the island, and the planned restoration of the popular walking trails and camping sites throughout the park.

The committee was impressed to hear that the regional staff were not only recovering from the devastation of the bushfires but were using the unique opportunities presented by the fires to their advantage. Those involved in the pest control programs were taking advantage of the reduced populations to try to completely eradicate feral species from the island.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service plans to bring back the Flinders Chase Visitor Centre, wilderness trails and camping sites better than ever before, incorporating feedback and suggestions from past visitors. The committee would like to acknowledge all the residents and regional staff who joined the committee on its two-day fact-finding visit. They were welcoming, enthusiastic and generous with their time.

Kangaroo Island has experienced an unprecedented 18 months. While still recovering from the devastating 2019-20 bushfires, the island was then forced to grapple with a global pandemic, further isolating an already isolated community at a time when support was needed the most, but the passion, hard work and dedication of the Kangaroo Island community will ensure that the island will recover from the 2019-20 bushfires to remain a repository of some of the state's finest natural resources and one of the nation's most beautiful and iconic tourist destinations.

I commend the Presiding Member of the committee, the member for King, and the other members of the committee—the member for Port Adelaide, the Hon. John Darley MLC, the member for MacKillop, the member for Hammond and the Hon. Russell Wortley MLC—for their contributions. All members have worked cooperatively on this report. Finally, I thank the parliamentary staff for their assistance. With that, I commend this report to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. D.G.E. Hood.

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