May 22 2018 Minister’s attack on NSW shark research is politics at its worst Minister for Fisheries Dave Kelly today blamed the New South Wales Government for the McGowan Government not providing a subsidy for a surf-specific shark repellent device. Shadow Minister for Tourism Libby Mettam said the Minister’s attack on the NSW Government for not releasing research it had commissioned and funded was remarkable. “This is a complete diversionary tactic to draw attention away from the fact that this Government does not have comprehensive strategy that will give the broadest possible protection against shark attack at our beaches,” Ms Mettam said. “Why isn’t the McGowan Government doing this research into mitigation devices, like the NSW Government and the former Liberal WA Government did? “Rather than attacking the NSW Government for not releasing the final report of a draft that was released only last week, why isn’t the McGowan Government going cap in hand and asking for a collaborative approach?” Ms Mettam said the Ocean Guardian Surf + had been on the market for a year, and adding a Government subsidy for a limited number would be too little, too late. “Offering a subsidy on a commercial device does not address the public safety concerns and it will do nothing to address tourism impacts of shark activity in WA,” Ms Mettam said. “Minister Kelly is still cherry picking what he thinks will be cheap options rather than putting together a comprehensive strategy. Today we are no closer to seeing event disruption avoided in WA and no closer to preventing attacks on people using our oceans. “It is not the role of government to subsidise a commercial device; it is the role of government to fund the independent testing and that is what the NSW Government and the former Liberal National Government did. “This announcement today also amounts to an admission by the Minister that his Government’s sole measure to date – a $200 subsidy on the Freedom 7 Shark Shield device has not been suitable for surfers, the group of ocean users most at risk of shark attack” Ms Mettam said she had been dismayed at the Minister’s attempts in recent weeks to inflate the costs of deploying SMART drumlines, in an attempt to justify his Government’s refusal to accept a generous offer from the New South Wales Government for the loan of five of the devices. “Rather than graciously accepting an offer made in good faith, they are refusing it on the grounds it is from a Liberal Government and trying to claim it is all a political stunt and now turning around and attacking that government for not releasing research that it funded,” Ms Mettam said. Media Contact |
