The Hon. Peter Rundle, Member for Roe, Media Release, 11 June 2026
Member for Roe Peter Rundle MLA has raised a Grievance with the Minister for Agriculture over the Cook Labor Government’s continued delays to the Esperance Extension of the State Barrier Fence – a critical piece of infrastructure designed to protect Western Australia’s agricultural and livestock industries from invasive species and agricultural pests.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture Lachlan Hunter MLA and Mr Rundle recently met with farmers and key stakeholders across Esperance, who voiced increasing frustration that a project promised years ago is still yet to be completed.
“Farmers, with support from the Nationals WA have been advocating for this project for years. Yet, seven years after construction began, farmers still don’t know when this fence will be completed,” Mr Rundle said.
“This is critical biosecurity infrastructure, yet the Cook Labor Government continues to drag its feet while our producers are left exposed to wild dogs and other pests.”
“In 2026, a critical 136 km section is still unfinished, leaving producers exposed and in limbo. Farmers are doing their job. It’s time for this Government to do theirs.”
Mr Rundle and Mr Hunter are calling on Agriculture Minister Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC to immediately provide a completion timeline, guarantee the necessary resources to finish the project, and explain why Esperance farmers are still waiting for a fence they were promised years ago.
Mr Hunter said the delays were undermining confidence in the Labor Government’s commitment to regional Western Australia.
“We have heard firsthand from producers who are carrying the cost of Labor’s delays,” Mr Hunter said.
“A farm in the Great Western Woodlands lost about 100 pregnant ewes and 80 lambs to dog attacks in the past six months alone.
“That is a direct loss of $45,000 but, when the value of the unborn lambs and future breeding capacity is included, the impact rises to $250,000 over five years.
“Every day that this project remains incomplete is another day farmers are left vulnerable. The State Barrier Fence is not a luxury project; it’s an essential piece of agricultural infrastructure.
“Regional communities are sick of excuses. They want action, certainty, and a completion date.”
Mr Rundle has been advocating for this fence since his election to Parliament in 2017, and said the issue highlights a broader pattern of neglect of regional Western Australia by the Cook Labor Government.
“Labor has no trouble making promises to the bush, but delivering them appears to be another matter entirely,” he said.
Mr Rundle and Mr Hunter are calling on Agriculture Minister Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC to immediately provide a completion timeline, guarantee the necessary resources to finish the project, and explain why Esperance farmers are still waiting for a fence they were promised years ago.
“The message is simple: finish the fence.”
