Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-05-19 Daily Xml

Contents

Fox Baiting

The Hon. S.L. GAME (15:04): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, on fox baits.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.L. GAME: I have had correspondence from a wheat and sheep farmer from the Eyre Peninsula whose family have owned their farm since 2013. He tells me that in that time the Landscape SA board has always given the landowners fox baits to control numbers, due to the hefty levy farmers pay each year. He states:

Since baiting, we have had a better lambing percentage but also noticed a huge amount of extra native animals. One in particular, plovers. I think we would have easily about 50 plovers here now on this farm when before we started baiting we had none.

Foxes are declared a pest animal under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Farmers are doing their bit to control this pest animal that has preyed on our native wildlife population. Why is Landscape SA now charging landowners for fox baits, and will they consider reversing this decision for the sake of landowners and native fauna?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Attorney-General, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for her excellent first question in this chamber and her interest in this area. I will refer that question onto my colleague in another place, the Hon. Susan Close, the member for Port Adelaide and Deputy Premier, and bring back a reply for her.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Lensink.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Lensink!