Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Senator Cormann. I refer to the exemption granted by the Minister for the Environment of the Western Australia government's shark kill-and-capture policy from the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. This exemption applies a number of conditions to the implementation of that policy. There have been almost daily reports of potential breaches of this exemption and its conditions. How is the federal government monitoring the implementation of the drum line policy? Is the government aware of the large number of small-sized sharks that are being captured under this program and does the capture and release of these sharks who subsequently die as a result of the injuries from the drum lines breach the conditions applied?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Siewert for that question. In fact, I had been wondering how long it would take before the Greens would ask me a question about this issue. Let me just say at the outset that we support the efforts of the WA state government to protect human life and to improve public safety on Western Australian shores. That is why Minister Hunt has provided a limited and temporary exemption from the application of the EPBC Act to the WA government. There is no doubt that the increased risk of shark strikes in Western Australia is a public safety matter of national significance. There have been seven tragic deaths in just three years.

Australia has a strong beach culture and the federal government agrees with the Western Australian government that public safety and the protection of human life are paramount, particularly during the height of summer. That is why the government has decided that it is in the national interest to provide that temporary exemption for the WA government from the relevant provisions—

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I did not ask for this information. I asked a specific question. Is this government monitoring the implementation of this program? Could the minister please, through you, Mr President, answer that question?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do draw the minister's attention to the question. The minister has 46 seconds remaining.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is why the government has decided that it is in the national interest to provide that temporary exemption for the WA government from the relevant provisions of the EPBC Act, at this stage until 30 April 2014. Incidentally, that exemption is quite limited compared with the very longstanding practice in Senator Rhiannon's home state of New South Wales for the past 75 years, and in Senator Waters' home state of Queensland for the past 50 years. To protect human life, each and every year New South Wales places its nets at 51 beaches between Wollongong and Newcastle. To protect human life, each and every year the Queensland shark control program covers 84 beaches and uses a combination of mesh nets and drum line—

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I remind senators on my left that interjections are disorderly, and constant interjections are totally disorderly.

Senator Lines interjecting—

Order!

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For all the years that Senator Lines has lived in New South Wales, the Labor government in New South Wales placed nets— (Time expired)

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take that as a no. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the WA government reporting to your department on the implementation of the catch-and-kill policy? If so, how many animals have been caught or destroyed, have died or been released? If not, why is this data not being collected? And why didn't the government require independent observers on the boats that are applying this policy?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand that Senator Siewert does not agree with the policy adopted by the WA state government, but this government does agree and we have decided to provide an exemption which goes until 30 April 2014. As the minister has already said, after that time the experiences over this summer will be properly reviewed and appropriate judgements can be made at that time. Could I just remind the chamber again that, over the last 75 years, New South Wales has placed nets at 51 beaches between Wollongong and Newcastle; every single year over the last 50 years, the Queensland state government—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Cormann, resume your seat. On both sides, if you wish to debate the issue, the time to debate it is after question time finishes, which this afternoon will be some time just after five past three. The minister is entitled to be heard in silence.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The federal government makes no apology for supporting efforts by the state government in Western Australia to protect human life and public safety, which is something the states of New South Wales and Queensland have been doing for a very long time. Senator Siewert asked me about reports of undersized tiger sharks— (Time expired)

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Finally the minister starts to get around to answering my question! I will ask it again. Is the Western Australian government reporting? If so, how many animals have been captured and killed, and will the government take note of the Senate's resolution yesterday and revoke this policy?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Siewert and the government will just have to agree to disagree on this. The short answer to her final question is no, we will not be revisiting the very limited and temporary exemption that Minister Hunt has granted with effect to 30 April 2014. I go back to the reports of undersized sharks being caught. Sharks caught that are less than three metres long will be released alive if possible. If they are not in a condition to survive, they are to be humanely destroyed. To summarise—

Senator Siewert interjecting—

Senator Siewert, I think no amount of exchanges between you and I will bring us to a consensus.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Cormann, resume your seat. Senator Siewert is endeavouring to listen to the answer, and the interjections do not help her.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In short, the government takes responsibility for the decision that we have made. We made a conscious decision. It is an appropriate decision. It is a decision to protect human life and public safety, and we stand by it.