New Nationals’ MP for Clarence, Richie Williamson, says the NSW and Federal Labor Governments should step up and provide financial support to the struggling Clarence River prawn industry.
In an impassioned Private Member’s Statement in the NSW Parliament, Mr Williamson said the local prawn industry was suffering great stress through no fault of its own after White Spot Disease was found at two Palmers Island prawn farms in February.
As a result, a control order restricting the movement of raw prawns from the Clarence River area was imposed and will remain in force until at least June 14.
“The white spot has been found in the prawn farms locally, but not in the estuary,” Clarence River Fishermen’s Co-Op chairman, Brad Dixon, told A Current Affair.
Mr Dixon said a blanket ban means his business can’t move prawns outside his area, which is affecting 95 per cent of his product.
“It’s not something that’s in our water, so we don’t know why we can’t go to work,” he said.
Mr Williamson told Parliament the Clarence River Fishermen’s Cooperative had not been eligible for any grants despite the ravages of fires, floods, disease, and biosecurity control orders.
“The industry is in crisis and needs the full support of the NSW Government and the Albanese Federal Government combined.”
Mr Williamson said the first step should be to offer relief by way of a waiver on Crown lease fees, a policy lever that has been used previously.
“There are lives well and truly at stake. This is a matter of urgency,” Mr Williamson concluded.
A transcript of Mr Williamson’s Private Member’s Statement can be viewed here –
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Hansard/Pages/HansardResult.aspx#/docid/HANSARD-1323879322-130400/link/2292
