2017-09-02
Hon Diane Evers MLC
My first three months as a Member of Parliament have been exciting but have flown by. It has been a very steep learning curve and I have been very quickly coming to terms with how Parliament works, given an inaugural speech, had my first debate on the all-important Loan Bill 2017, presented petitions on GM crop compensation and the Fremantle Port, raised a motion on the reinstatement of the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Act 2003 and asked many important questions of the Labor government.
Being sworn in by the Governor of Western Australia, HE Hon Kerry Sanderson AC
Fracking
After asking the Government to clarify its election promise on banning fracking in the South West, I am concerned that Western Australians have been misled. We now understand that the ban on fracking will not be legislated and does not rule out exploration for gas, including on private land, national parks and in drinking water areas. It is also concerning that tight gas can be considered conventional or unconventional, and either appropriate or inappropriate, for our region, depending on who in government you are speaking to. We believe farmers and private land owners should have the right to refuse access to gas exploration and extraction and we are determined to ensure the Government does not cave on its election promise.
Genetically Modified (GM) Crops
Steve Marsh, the organic farmer in Kojonup who lost organic certification in 2010 after GM seeds and swathes blew onto his farm and contaminated his organic crop, lost his court appeal for compensation. As a result, I have presented a petition to the Legislative Council to Introduce Farmer Protection Legislation to compensate any non-GM farmer who suffers economic loss from GM contamination and have also put forward a motion to the government to reinstate the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Act 2003. The Greens believe that other than medicinal uses where there are immediate benefits, the use of GM crops should be treated under the precautionary principle and not grown until proven to be safe. I am continuing to meet with stakeholders on this issue and will continue to fight for a GM free WA.
South West tour
In addition to the parliamentary business, I was fortunate to tour the South West region with Senator Rachel Siewert. During the tour we met with non-government health providers in Bunbury, Busselton, Margaret River and Manjimup to discuss NDIS, aged care, mental health, drug use, homelessness and other health issues. We caught up with Greens supporters in Bunbury, Margaret River and Balingup, learning about local initiatives including hemp farming and community renewable energy projects and discussing issues such as land clearing and clean water. I look forward to the next tour and hearing of innovative projects in other areas of the region.
With Claire Savage of Tourism WA at the Truffle Kerfuffle in Manjimup in June.
Barrabup Forest and FPC
While touring the Southwest, we visited the Barrabup Forest to view the native jarrah forest that Forest Products Commission (FPC) began logging without proper assessments having been completed. The decimation of the surrounding area is quite disturbing. I have asked a number of questions to the Government on the Barrabup Forest, which is home to many threatened animals and plants and I am continuing to seek answers from the Government on why it continues to log native forests when it is clearly doing so at a loss. Our native forests are under multiple stresses not just from logging but also Phytophthora dieback and declining rainfall and the state must take action to manage them for the ecological health of the forest, taking into account the various needs of different forest types and locations. Throughout my term, my team and I will be working toward this end.
Sharks
I attended the Senate inquiry into shark hazard management in Perth last month chaired by Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson. There were some amazing speakers including Dr Sharon Burden who lost her son six years ago to an attack and is seeking to establish national science-based protocols on risk mitigation.
Of concern, is that some Liberal MPs are still calling for culling of white sharks when the practice is not backed by science. As the current WA and South Australian State Governments oppose culling, offshore Commonwealth waters (which start 5 km off our mainland and islands) is the only ocean where the Federal Government could order a cull. It should be noted that Federal laws for protecting and de-listing threatened species require scientific evidence on population trends. Although the CSIRO-led research (due for completion in December), will provide estimates on the size of white shark populations off the east and South West Australian coast, trends will not be determined as this is the first time the information has been collated. This makes it difficult to delist great white sharks as a threatened species which is necessary for a Federal cull to be undertaken.
Finally, my team and I will also be looking closely at the WA State budget when it is brought down next month, seeking to ensure the Government is investing public funds appropriately.
Header photo: Diane Evers