Question Without Notice No. 1570 asked in the Legislative Council on 30 November 2023 by Hon Dr Steve Thomas

Parliament: 41 Session: 1  

AGRICULTURE — DECLARED PEST RATE 

1570. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the Minister for Agriculture and Food: I refer to the collection of the declared pest rate for the 2022–23 financial year. 

(1) What was the total of the declared pest rate collected from landholders from each of the  state's recognised biosecurity groups for the year? 

(2) What detail of landholder refusal to pay the DPR has RevenueWA provided the minister  this year? 

(3) Will the minister table in the house RevenueWA's breakdown of payment refusal numbers  associated with each recognised biosecurity group in Western Australia for the 2022– 23 financial year? 

(4) If no to (3), why not? 

Hon MATTHEW SWINBOURN replied: 

I thank the member for some notice of the question. I provide the following answer on behalf  of the Minister for Agriculture and Food, who is absent on urgent parliamentary business. 

(1) An amount of $3 008 165.82 was collected from landholders in the areas of operation  below—that refers to a table that I will get to. No funds are collected from recognised  biosecurity groups. A breakdown of rates collected has been provided in tabular form.  I seek leave to have that incorporated into Hansard. 

[Leave granted for the following material to be incorporated.]

Biosecurity Area 

Rates collected

Blackwood Biosecurity Area 

��� 234,298 

Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Area 

��� 366,064 

Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Area 

��� 200,045 

Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Area 

��� 169,681 

Esperance Biosecurity Area 

��� 50,067 

Goldfields Nullarbor Rangelands Biosecurity Area 

��� 320,111 

Kimberley Rangelands Biosecurity Area 

��� 306,743 

Leschenault Biosecurity Area 

��� 177,343 

Meekatharra Rangelands Biosecurity Area 

��� 237,369 

Midlands Biosecurity Area 

��� 168,692 

Northern Biosecurity Area 

��� 207,269 

Peel Harvey Biosecurity Area 

��� 267,169 

Pilbara Region Biosecurity Area 

��� 213,797 

Southern Biosecurity Area 

��� 89,516 

Total: 

�� 3,008,166 

(2)–(4) Not applicable. RevenueWA manages the collection process for the declared pest rate  on behalf of the state. The Commissioner of State Revenue has the authority to pursue  any unpaid rates.