SWAN
VALLEY EGG FARM
956. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the
Minister for Agriculture and Food:
(1) Is the
minister aware that Swan Valley Egg Farm has approval from Swan City Council to
operate as a poultry farm, subject to the condition that the farm must not
stock more than 24 000 birds?
(2) Is the minister aware that Swan Valley Egg Farm currently
stocks approximately 80 000 birds?
(3) Is the
minister aware that on Swan Valley Egg Farm there is a shed housing 12 000 birds
that have access to an outdoor range of 300 square metres, which equates to 400
000 birds per hectare?
(4) Is the
minister aware that the eggs from these birds are sold as ''free range''
under the label ''Eggs by Ellah''?
(5) Does the minister accept that this
labelling is misleading?
(6) What courses
of action are available to the minister to improve truth in labelling for
free-range eggs?
Hon
PETER COLLIER replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this
question. I give this answer on behalf of the Minister for Child Protection —
(1) No. The
minister does not monitor the arrangements made by local government councils
regarding the operation of enterprises within their jurisdiction.
(2)–(3) No.
(4) No. The
minister does not monitor the arrangements made by commercial enterprises in
the marketing of their products.
(5) It is because
of circumstances like this that the egg industry is taking action to clearly
define what is meant by the term ''free range''.
(6) Food
labelling issues are addressed at a federal level, The Western Australian
government can have input into this process through the Standing Council on
Primary Industries and the Australia New Zealand Food Regulation Council.