Protecting our crops and local communities from the pest parrot crisis

Imagine a primary producer standing in their orchard, watching their livelihood being picked apart by invasive species. It is a scene of quiet devastation that many in our rural regions know all too well. For years, the community has been calling for a cohesive, statewide approach to handle the rising tide of pest parrots and cockatoos.

As a medical doctor, I focus on diagnosis and treatment. When a patient presents with a chronic issue, you do not wait three years to look at the blood test results. You act. Yet, when it comes to the health of our agricultural sector and our unique local ecosystems, the government seems content to let reports sit on shelves while the problem multiplies.

The danger of bureaucratic inertia

The risk here is not just a few lost apples. This is about the economic survival of family farms and the balance of our natural environment. When we ignore invasive species, we invite a domino effect of ecological damage and financial ruin for small businesses. Feedback was gathered from the community years ago, yet for too long, local government representatives have been left in a vacuum, told that a solution was still a work in progress.

It is frustrating for those on the front lines. They see the numbers growing. They feel the financial sting. They look to their leaders for a strategy and they find only a digital dead end. We are the forward thinkers who believe in evidence-based policy, and the evidence clearly shows that inaction is a choice with real, stinging consequences for Western Australians.

While I continue to push for transparency and scientific rigor in our state policies, I invite you to stay informed by subscribing to my YouTube channel for further updates from the House.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCIGBIf3b385BV5d48Y1U2A?sub_confirmation=1

A sudden breakthrough for the regions

I put the question directly to the Minister for Agriculture and Food today. If the department is committed to a statewide policy, where is it? Why have we been waiting so long while our farmers suffer? The silence was finally broken. In a welcome shift from the usual foot-dragging, the government revealed that two significant documents have finally been prepared and released.

The Guidelines for the Management of Pest Parrots and Cockatoos and a comprehensive Management Report are now live. This is a win for persistence, but we must ensure these are not just words on a page. They must translate into real support for the people in the dirt, protecting the fruit on the trees and the integrity of our regional heritage.

You can read the full details of this exchange in the official record of Parliament. To help us continue fighting for sensible, evidence-led governance, I encourage you to join Legalise Cannabis WA and stand with us.