2017-05-25
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Agriculture. The government has completed its review of the Leadbeater’s possum buffer zones. It is my understanding that the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, including the Arthur Rylah Institute and VicForests, inputted to the review. Can the minister advise why the Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum, Zoos Victoria, members of the forest industry task force, Professor David Lindenmayer and the threatened species commissioner were not included?
Ms PULFORD (Minister for Agriculture) — I thank Ms Dunn for her question. We are not having much luck in hitting the right minister today. I am trying very hard to be helpful. This report was commissioned by — —
Mr Jennings interjected.
Ms PULFORD — I know; that is right. Minister D’Ambrosio is the minister responsible for this matter, and I am happy to seek a response for Ms Dunn. But I think everybody needs to try harder to hit the right minister with their questions.
Supplementary question
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — I thank the minister for her answer. It is my understanding that the Leadbeater’s possum buffer zones have a direct interaction with logging, which I do understand is part of your portfolio of responsibilities, unless I have been mistaken for the last two and a half years. Can the minister advise if the outcome of that review is to remove the Leadbeater’s possum buffers and release that forest for logging?
Ms PULFORD (Minister for Agriculture) — Again, this review has been sought by the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, it has been provided to the minister for the environment and she is probably therefore the best person to provide an answer to Ms Dunn’s question