Ms O’CONNOR question to MINISTER for PARKS, Mr DUIGAN
Under the National Parks and Reserved Land Regulations of 1999, section 7, it is an offence to ‘deposit the dead body of any creature; or deposit, discharge or leave any offal, filth, dung, rubbish or any other noxious or polluting matter or thing’ into a reserve.
As you are aware, the Ninepin Point Marine Reserve falls under this regulation and falls under your area of responsibility. Can you confirm that diseased fish offal has been either dumped or deposited near this Ninepin Point Marine Reserve. Have you received any advice from Parks on this likely breach of the regulations?
ANSWER
Mr President, as I said yesterday concerning this challenging issue, we know, understand and acknowledge concerns in the community and, indeed, the industry more broadly. From an environmental perspective, the critical issue is timely collection and management of the fish residue in an approved manner. As I mentioned yesterday, the independent Environmental Protection Authority remains the agency responsible for managing the fish death mortality event and associated deposit of fatty substances in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Of course, the community is encouraged to report any concerns directly to the EPA, and government will let the investigation take its course and be guided, as you would expect, by the EPA’s findings.
Ms O’Connor – Can you answer the question?
Mr DUIGAN – I cannot comment on an active investigation in regard to reports of salmon matter washing up on areas under Parks management. I am aware that the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service was contacted by community members in relation to concerns on beaches in the Channel area. While the areas were inspected by Parks staff, evidence of waste was unable to be verified. It is a good reminder that the community should report any concerns directly to the EPA, which is leading the investigation.
Member for Hobart, if you have any particular reports that are being brought to you, I also encourage you to do likewise and take those to the EPA.
Ms O’Connor – You said Parks had investigated.
Mr DUIGAN – The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Services also provided the information provided to them to the EPA. In terms of impacts to Ninepin Point Reserve, while not pre‑empting any findings of the current investigation, the Parks and Wildlife Service will undertake monitoring of the area as required.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Ms O’CONNOR – May I have a supplementary question, Mr President?
Mr PRESIDENT – The honourable member for Hobart.
Ms O’CONNOR – Minister, thanks for providing that extra information and obviously getting a bit of a brief from your advisers overnight. The question was actually whether you can confirm that there has been a breach, and that offal, as a result of the salmon mass mortality event, has either been dumped or deposited in, or very near, the Ninepin Point Marine Reserve. Can you confirm that there has been a breach, and can you explain, if that is true, as we understand it to be true, why no breach notifications have been issued?
Mr DUIGAN Mr President, I understand the member’s interest in that. As I pointed to in my previous answer, the EPA is leading this. There is a current investigation underway. I will not be pre‑empting any of the outcomes of that investigation.
