Mike Elliott: Native Birds

Extract from Hansard

Legislative Council
31 October 2001

Mike Elliott
Leader Australian Democrats
Member of the Legislative Council

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The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: I speak in relation to a question I asked in this place of Minister Laidlaw regarding the Bird Care Society. On 31 May this year, I asked Minister Laidlaw, representing the Minister for Environment and Heritage, a question about the protection of native birds. In my question I highlighted a situation where a voluntary bird care organisation was struggling to survive because of new government red tape. In response, I believe that Minister Laidlaw was led to make some inaccurate statements on behalf of the Minister for Environment and Heritage. I am sure that she was doing so on the basis of information provided by the minister. I seek now-

The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: Yes, that is right. I am not in any way having a shot at the Minister for Transport. I seek now to set the record straight. Minister Laidlaw, on behalf of the Minister for Environment, claimed that, in this particular case, the individual who wrote to the honourable member applied for and obtained six rescue permits over the past year. The minister's comments show a misunderstanding of the purpose and operation of the organisation. The Bird Care Society's aim is to rehabilitate and return healthy birds to the wild quickly. Many birds can be rehabilitated and returned to the wild within two weeks, which makes it a nonsense to seek a permit for a bird for such a short time.

Further, if volunteers apply for a rescue permit they are also required to purchase a Keep and Sell Permit, which costs up to $70 per bird, per annum, before they have had the bird long enough to assess it. Currently rescue permits are sought only for unreleasable birds when they are transferred to other persons. If the individual mentioned had had to purchase a rescue permit for every bird that had come into her possession and had been released, it would have been many more. The minister also said:

In some cases they are being held in poor conditions. The Minister for Environment and Heritage recently met with Sharon Blair, President of the Bird Care and Conservation Society (South Australia) to discuss this matter.

I am told this claim is incorrect. Ms Blair assures me that in her discussions with Minister Evans no mention of this issue was made to her by the minister. Ms Blair knows of no departmental concerns or prosecutions on this issue.

Ms Blair also asked me to thank the minister for her affirmation that volunteers who care for our fauna provide a valuable and vital contribution to both the animals and to the community groups who utilise the service they provide. The Australian Democrats call on the Minister for Environment and Heritage to consider the full implications of the proposed changes to native bird legislation, but call on him to reflect on the insights he must receive as minister from volunteers and not let bureaucracy and red tape strangle an organisation that is already struggling to meet the significant need to protect our native birds. Further, we believe that an apology or retraction is in order in relation to misleading statements made in answer to questions in this place on this matter.