Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me no pleasure to rise in my place today to talk yet again about the terrible situation with sarcoptic mange affecting Tasmania's wombats—95 per cent dead in Narawntapu National Park, and it has now spread throughout the state. At least 50 per cent of the Tasmanian landmass is affected, including most of my electorate—Campania, Bagdad, Bream Creek and Nubeena. One of the few bright lights of this terrible affliction is that there is a community-led campaign to prevent it. It is community leading the way. It is the community doing the fightback. Wombat warriors, wombat rescue—people like John Harris from Kelso, in the north of my electorate. These are the people who are taking the fight up to this disease. Unfortunately, the Tasmanian government and, I am sorry to say, the federal Turnbull government are doing next to nothing. The state government has provided $100,000, but we need more. We need mobile treatment centres so that these wombats can be treated in the field. Too many of them are dying. Once they get this disease, they die, and they die a terrible, awful death. Ms Prentice is sitting here, and I know she is as passionate about wombats as I am. They are wonderful Tasmanian and Australian icons. There is a remarkable community effort underway. I hope the Turnbull government and the Hodgman government in Tasmania come to the party and do their part in rescuing these magnificent animals.