Barnett was prime mover on shark plan
Department of Premier and Cabinet boss Peter Conran confirmed yesterday the State Government's drum line policy was essentially Colin Barnett's call.
The DPC boss was pressed in an Upper House estimates committee meeting about evidence or advice the Government had that drum lines would be a successful shark mitigation strategy.
Mr Conran confirmed the Department of Fisheries commissioned research which did not recommend drum lines or shark nets but that drum lines were the more effective method.
He said the evidence on which the decision was based and which the Premier put on the record was that he was responding to seven deaths in three years.
"That, to his mind, required a response," Mr Conran said. "He put those proposals to Cabinet and Cabinet decided that it should proceed with drum lines."
Asked for a third time by Labor's Ken Travers about evidence on drum lines, Mr Conran said: "From the evidence on the east coast … you could draw a conclusion that in Queensland there has been one shark death since 1962 on (controlled) beaches, though there have been some deaths in the canals on the Gold Coast.
"In Sydney on the netted beaches there have been, as I recall, no shark deaths … though there have been some shark deaths outside the netted beaches.
"That in itself was information considered by Government."
Liberal MPs from coastal electorates mostly backed the Premier yesterday, with Carine MLA Tony Krsticevic saying: "Sitting on the fence and doing nothing is not an option."
Churchlands MLA Sean L'Estrange said drum lines, aerial patrols and research were part of a "multi-faceted approach".
But Hillarys MLA Rob Johnson was critical, saying it was not a Liberal policy but a "Barnett policy".
Mr Johnson did not oppose sharks which stayed near beaches being caught and killed but he feared baited hooks 1km offshore would attract sharks.
