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- 8 March 2006
Noxious Weeds Control
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The Hon. TONY CATANZARITI: My question is addressed to the Minister for Primary Industries. Will the Minister update the House on the Government's efforts to tackle noxious weeds in New South Wales?
The Hon. IAN MACDONALD: Weeds threaten productivity, influence our economic viability, pose human health risks and are a major threat to our unique biodiversity. Every year weeds cost Australia's agriculture—
The Hon. Duncan Gay: Why has it taken eight months?
The Hon. IAN MACDONALD: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is wrong. He should just listen for a while, and he will find out how wrong he is, as usual. The cost of our nation's winter cropping systems alone is roughly $1.2 billion.
The Hon. Duncan Gay: It has taken six months.
The Hon. IAN MACDONALD: No, just listen; you do not want me to bring it out too early. In New South Wales weeds cost our farmers an estimated $600 million each year through lost production and control measures.
The Hon. Rick Colless: Is that why you rev it out at peak times?
The Hon. IAN MACDONALD: The honourable member talks about being revved up. Every time he comes to the podium he is revved up. The impacts on our waterways, fishing industries and forest industries are equally as profound. To help local communities tackle the problems, the New South Wales Labor Government has allocated more than $70 million in noxious weeds grants over the past 10 years to help local communities manage noxious weeds incursions. This financial year alone the allocation was $7.6 million. Earlier this week the Opposition was ranting and raving, as usual, about this year's funding, making all sorts of false assumptions, proving once again that they are out of touch.
Of the $7.6 million allocated this year, $4.4 million has already been allocated to 99 local weed control authorities. Furthermore, that $4.4 million was issued in October 2005 to support ongoing weed control projects and operational needs. An additional $3.2 million will soon be provided to those groups to support new projects that were not in place last year, or for additional needs. By providing the funding in two tranches the Government is helping to expedite payments to local organisations, giving them more security. As I indicated previously, the process of providing a second tranche of funding is well and truly under way.
I remind the Opposition that an independent Noxious Weeds Advisory Committee reviews all submissions for noxious weeds grants. That group includes representatives from the NSW Farmers Association, the Shires Association, Local Government Association, rural lands protection boards, catchment management committees and various government departments. When the committee approves projects, the State Government provides funding on a dollar-for-dollar basis with the local control authorities. Project agreements for the remaining $3.2 million have been sent to the relevant local weed control groups. Once those agreements are signed and returned—in other words, there is an agreement process, and it has been in place for a while—the money will flow. I have no doubt that the weed control groups will make it a priority to get their agreements back to us.
I point out that noxious weed funding under the New South Wales Labor Government has steadily increased in recent years. This year's allocation of $7.6 million is up from $7 million in the 2002-03 financial year and $7.4 million last year. It is also $2 million more than the level of funding provided by the Coalition when it was last in government.
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