Hansard debates

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:38): My question, for the Minister for Agriculture, concerns this year’s duck season. A 20-day cap on what should be a three-month season with a bag limit of two birds per day, not 10, is an absolute insult. It is no season at all. Strictly regulated on welfare, conservation and public safety grounds, duck hunting promotes physical health and has historical and cultural significance, performs a necessary agricultural function in some areas and promotes conservation work done as a by-product of the industry. This paltry season means no-one will travel. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be lost to the regional economy. And as a Western Victoria Region holiday park owner has told me, it is hopeless. What is the point in giving out vouchers for regional tourism with one hand and destroying tourism opportunities with the other? My question, Minister, is: how much will this reduced season cost the regional economy?