2016-09-14
Mr BARBER (Northern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Agriculture. Minister, in your policy announcements associated with the budget this year you introduced the aim of maintaining sustainable deer populations for hunting purposes. What information does your department have on the current population levels across the different species of deer, what are the growth rates of those populations and what levels do you consider to be sustainable?
[Speech was interrupted.]
Mr BARBER (Northern Metropolitan) — Thank you, Minister; I appreciate that. By way of supplementary, it has been eight years since your department examined the impact of deer on agricultural production. Given the noted explosion in deer populations since then, what is your department's estimate of the cost to farmers of invasive deer as of today and what measures are you taking to reduce that cost?
[Speech was interrupted.]
Mr BARBER (Northern Metropolitan) — Maybe we could just discuss a little bit the deer population on Snake Island. Your press release says that there are 500 deer on Snake Island, and you have now opened that island to hunting. Is the aim of issuing hunting permits for Snake Island to eliminate deer or reduce them to negligible levels, or is the aim to maintain deer populations, just harvest the surplus and turn Snake Island into some sort of royal hunting preserve where exclusive membership access allows you to be sure of hunting a deer year after year and off into the future?
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