Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to inform the chamber of preliminary results of an online survey I'm conducting on the controversial South Coast Marine Park that the state Labor government plans to enforce in my vast Western Australian electorate. The marine park threatens to ban commercial and recreational fishing from large exclusion zones along a 1,000 kilometre stretch of coastline from Bremer Bay, east to the WA border.

In the coastal town of Esperance last month, more than 1,000 people gathered to protest against the park. Residents along the state's south coast are confused by Labor's convoluted consultation process. They fear their livelihoods, economies and lifestyle may be under threat. You see, fishing is a way of life from Windy Harbour in the far west of O'Connor through Albany and Esperance and onto the border town of Eucla. Some of Australia's best fishing can be done along the WA south coast, where crowds are not a big problem and people from around the globe come to land a big one.

Acting upon community dismay at more than 35 consultation documents released by the state, I launched my own 30-second survey on 3 May. The single question I put is not loaded. I simply ask whether respondents support the marine park in its current form—yes or no. Responses so far have been outstanding, with over 3,000 people responding. Of those respondents, 1,548 are from the Esperance town—the largest town in the marine park area. Of the Esperance respondents, 1,485 say they don't want the marine park in its current form at all.

In contrast to my short survey, the state swamped the community with 520 pages of reports. That's too much information. It reflects a technocratic and heavy-handed approach to natural resource management. The first piece of advice the state gives respondents to its processes is that their submission should be clear and concise. In leading the south coast community up the garden path with its prolix processes, WA Labor has failed to heed its own counsel. Last week, environment minister Reece Whitby, who is peddling the marine park, claimed that my survey was a political stunt that would confuse the process.

I make no apology for simplifying what is a flawed and possibly preordained policy-making procedure. Thousands of people who have contacted my survey bely Mr Whitby's armchair critique. If he succeeds in restricting fishing east from Bremer Bay to the border, there is no guarantee he then won't extend his sights west to Albany, Denmark, Walpole and onto Windy Harbour. These places are also fishing hotspots whose lifestyle and economies would suffer.

WA Labor should respect the views of the south coast community. WA Labor should start consulting in a meaningful and genuine manner. Either that or WA Labor should abandon its marine park altogether. My survey is open till 27 May. In the interest of effective community consultation, I'll release—

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