Dr LIM - 1995-11-29
The minister would be aware of the effects that the calicivirus has on rabbits. In light of the rabbit plague being experienced in certain areas of central Australia, does the minister have any intention to consider use of the calicivirus to combat this problem? What does the minister know of black market dealings in calicivirus-infected rabbit carcases?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is a very timely question. The calicivirus is at large in Australia today. A meeting of ministers was held recently and, although Mr Faulkner, the federal Minister for the Environment, did not turn up in Perth, Hon Warren Snowdon attended that meeting. It is my belief that the calicivirus is alive and well in Australia today. We may as well accept that it has been released, whether we like it or not. To do otherwise would be a little like saying that the plague in England did not happen.
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The fact is that the calicivirus is spreading throughout Australia, but the Commonwealth is extremely concerned about being sued for having released it in the manner in which it did. Members would be aware that it is alleged to have escaped from an island off South Australia onto the mainland. The Commonwealth is very worried about being sued by a number of people. I understand that this particular point is relevant to central Australia, because rabbits are part of the diet of central Australians. I include South Australian and Western Australian Aboriginal people in this. The impact of loss of that part of their staple diet will be quite considerable. Many people are worried about the effect that calicivirus will have on the rabbit population where rabbits are used to supplement people's diets.
From radio reports and media releases I have had brought to my attention, there appears to be nothing illegal about selling dead rabbits. One report has it that an infected rabbit which is carrying live calicivirus can attract up to $100. A number of people are alleged to be involved in a black market for these carcases to increase the rapid spread of the calicivirus throughout Australia.
We have every intention of using the calicivirus or RCD in the fight to control the rabbit problem in central Australia. Members will be aware that the calicivirus escaped from Wardang Island and was first recorded on the mainland on 12 October 1995. It is now present in a large area 400 km from the island. The current rate of spread may well see the virus enter Territory rabbit populations before Christmas - that is, within the next 20 or 30 days. In the first 10 days following its escape, it travelled from the island to Broken Hill. This virus is travelling extremely fast. Recently, I asked the Commonwealth government to accelerate the formal release of the calicivirus in the Territory. The Commonwealth is reluctant to do so because it fears, as I said, that people will sue it, mainly for incompetence in the way it went about containing the calicivirus.
The potential benefits to the environment and the pastoral industry are great. However, there are also likely to be undesirable consequences, such as foxes turning to cats as prey. By the way, I do not see that as a bad outcome. The problem is that they may also turn to native animals as the rabbit population reduces. We will have a big problem with the fox population in Australia as its main - not supplementary - diet source is removed. That will have a big impact on native animals. I do not care so much about native cats as I have no love for them either.
Mr Bailey: I hope that you mean feral cats, not native cats.
Mr COULTER: I am talking about feral cats, of course.
When rabbits become scarce, the loss of income to rabbit shooters, the threat to pet rabbits and the lack of rabbits for food for Aboriginal people are all matters that must be considered. Governments had better consider them fast because I believe that, within the next 3 months or so, calicivirus will have spread throughout the entire rabbit population in Australia.
Conservation Commission officers are preparing a strategy to maximise the benefits and minimise the damage caused by the escape of RCD. The commission is to coordinate a monitoring and evaluation program of the effects of RCD on the Northern Territory. Fox and
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cat control will be conducted in key areas where native animals are known to be vulnerable, and landholders will be encouraged to integrate other rabbit control techniques with RCD. This will help ensure that long-lasting rabbit control lessons learnt from myxomatosis will allow us to use RCD to the best advantage. There is a theory that, because people thought it was so successful as it spread, there was no follow-up with myxomatosis to ensure that it eliminated the rabbit population. One of the problems with RCD is that there is an immunity in the young. I believe that, after 3 days, they are able to develop immunity to it. That would create a great problem for us. As I said, with the myxomatosis virus, rabbits increased their resistance gradually and the virus became less reliable. That may happen with RCD also. Ripping out warrens in key areas, after the disease has gone through, will minimise the chances of those rabbit colonies re-establishing.
Last week in the Assembly, in debate on the condolence motion, we heard the Leader of the Opposition talk about going shooting for rabbits. I suggest that he go this weekend and the following 2 or 3 weekends. I think he will have to become much more accurate in the practice of that sport because he will have many less targets in the near future in central Australia. That is inevitable. The Commonwealth is in its burrow right now. The ferrets are loose down there trying to chase the Commonwealth out and have it recognise that calicivirus has been released in Australia. Hopefully, the ferrets will be biting at the Commonwealth's ankles in a very short time and it will have to acknowledge that the calicivirus has been released in Australia.
Page 1087
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is a very timely question. The calicivirus is at large in Australia today. A meeting of ministers was held recently and, although Mr Faulkner, the federal Minister for the Environment, did not turn up in Perth, Hon Warren Snowdon attended that meeting. It is my belief that the calicivirus is alive and well in Australia today. We may as well accept that it has been released, whether we like it or not. To do otherwise would be a little like saying that the plague in England did not happen.
Page 1085
The fact is that the calicivirus is spreading throughout Australia, but the Commonwealth is extremely concerned about being sued for having released it in the manner in which it did. Members would be aware that it is alleged to have escaped from an island off South Australia onto the mainland. The Commonwealth is very worried about being sued by a number of people. I understand that this particular point is relevant to central Australia, because rabbits are part of the diet of central Australians. I include South Australian and Western Australian Aboriginal people in this. The impact of loss of that part of their staple diet will be quite considerable. Many people are worried about the effect that calicivirus will have on the rabbit population where rabbits are used to supplement people's diets.
From radio reports and media releases I have had brought to my attention, there appears to be nothing illegal about selling dead rabbits. One report has it that an infected rabbit which is carrying live calicivirus can attract up to $100. A number of people are alleged to be involved in a black market for these carcases to increase the rapid spread of the calicivirus throughout Australia.
We have every intention of using the calicivirus or RCD in the fight to control the rabbit problem in central Australia. Members will be aware that the calicivirus escaped from Wardang Island and was first recorded on the mainland on 12 October 1995. It is now present in a large area 400 km from the island. The current rate of spread may well see the virus enter Territory rabbit populations before Christmas - that is, within the next 20 or 30 days. In the first 10 days following its escape, it travelled from the island to Broken Hill. This virus is travelling extremely fast. Recently, I asked the Commonwealth government to accelerate the formal release of the calicivirus in the Territory. The Commonwealth is reluctant to do so because it fears, as I said, that people will sue it, mainly for incompetence in the way it went about containing the calicivirus.
The potential benefits to the environment and the pastoral industry are great. However, there are also likely to be undesirable consequences, such as foxes turning to cats as prey. By the way, I do not see that as a bad outcome. The problem is that they may also turn to native animals as the rabbit population reduces. We will have a big problem with the fox population in Australia as its main - not supplementary - diet source is removed. That will have a big impact on native animals. I do not care so much about native cats as I have no love for them either.
Mr Bailey: I hope that you mean feral cats, not native cats.
Mr COULTER: I am talking about feral cats, of course.
When rabbits become scarce, the loss of income to rabbit shooters, the threat to pet rabbits and the lack of rabbits for food for Aboriginal people are all matters that must be considered. Governments had better consider them fast because I believe that, within the next 3 months or so, calicivirus will have spread throughout the entire rabbit population in Australia.
Conservation Commission officers are preparing a strategy to maximise the benefits and minimise the damage caused by the escape of RCD. The commission is to coordinate a monitoring and evaluation program of the effects of RCD on the Northern Territory. Fox and
Page 1086
cat control will be conducted in key areas where native animals are known to be vulnerable, and landholders will be encouraged to integrate other rabbit control techniques with RCD. This will help ensure that long-lasting rabbit control lessons learnt from myxomatosis will allow us to use RCD to the best advantage. There is a theory that, because people thought it was so successful as it spread, there was no follow-up with myxomatosis to ensure that it eliminated the rabbit population. One of the problems with RCD is that there is an immunity in the young. I believe that, after 3 days, they are able to develop immunity to it. That would create a great problem for us. As I said, with the myxomatosis virus, rabbits increased their resistance gradually and the virus became less reliable. That may happen with RCD also. Ripping out warrens in key areas, after the disease has gone through, will minimise the chances of those rabbit colonies re-establishing.
Last week in the Assembly, in debate on the condolence motion, we heard the Leader of the Opposition talk about going shooting for rabbits. I suggest that he go this weekend and the following 2 or 3 weekends. I think he will have to become much more accurate in the practice of that sport because he will have many less targets in the near future in central Australia. That is inevitable. The Commonwealth is in its burrow right now. The ferrets are loose down there trying to chase the Commonwealth out and have it recognise that calicivirus has been released in Australia. Hopefully, the ferrets will be biting at the Commonwealth's ankles in a very short time and it will have to acknowledge that the calicivirus has been released in Australia.
Page 1087
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016