Wednesday, 22 June 2022

Pest control

Mr BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:09): My question is for the minister representing the minister for environment. Pests are a problem for all Victorians, and as such the government has imposed certain obligations on some Victorians—landholders in this case—to keep control of those flora and fauna declared as pests. This can range from introduced species such as rabbits and foxes to blackberries. Landholders must control blackberries on their land at their own cost, which is an additional burden shouldered by them not only for the law but for the good of the overall environment. Imagine my surprise when a month and a bit ago I went out to the state forest around Big River to find that the blackberries were so thick that neither human nor dog nor deer could penetrate them. These were old-growth blackberries and clearly had not been disturbed for many years at best. My question is: when is the government going to start controlling all pests in all the land it is responsible for and not just those it finds signal the most virtue to deal with?

Mr LEANE (Eastern Metropolitan—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Suburban Development, Minister for Veterans) (12:10): Thank you, Mr Bourman, for your question. I will make sure the minister for environment gets that question and you receive an answer as is prescribed in the standing orders.

Mr BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:11): I thank the minister, and I look forward to the answer. My supplementary is: given the hideous amounts of money spent on helicopter gunships to control deer, will the government divert funding from that to controlling other pests it is clearly just ignoring and let recreational hunters do more to help control deer?

Mr LEANE (Eastern Metropolitan—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Suburban Development, Minister for Veterans) (12:11): Thanks, Mr Bourman, again for your supplementary question. It is a question for the minister for environment, and I will make sure she receives that question and you receive an answer in line with the standing orders.