Mr BAYLEY question to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRIES and WATER, Ms PALMER
Minister, are you aware that a permit has been issued by your department to use 1080 poison on a property in the Southern Midlands owned by a syndicate of investors, and that baiting will commence next week? The use of 1080 poison is a cruel, crude and antiquated method of killing native wildlife which was banned on public land in Tasmania. Even Gunns Ltd, that bastion of animal ethics and social licence, moved to stop it altogether.
We have reports of healthy populations of species on the property, including disease free Tasmanian devils, spotted-tailed and eastern quolls and multiple pairs of wedge-tailed eagles. 1080 is non-target-specific and the impacts of secondary poisoning on carnivores is of serious concern.
Minister, will you urgently review and cancel the permit for this property in order to protect the multitude of threatened species here? And will you commit to reviewing how this permit was issued in the first place?
ANSWER
Ms PALMER - Mr Speaker, I thank the new member for his question. It is not my House but I welcome you personally to this place. Hold on, it is quite a ride.
I am not across the details of that particular property but I can look into that for you.
There has been quite a decline in the use of 1080 over the past 20 years. The total use of 1080 poison across Tasmania for the 2021-22 financial year was 0.73 kg. This is a marked reduction compared to the 12.7 kg used in 1999 and 2000.
We are aware that there are issues around 1080 and the different opinions that people have. At the moment we are looking at different options. However, we have seen a significant reduction. I will look into your comments around that particular property.