Sharman Stone MP

Fire Blight threat looms

September 19, 2011

The Adviser, Monday September 19 2011

Industry fights for heightened security

by Nadia Surace

ONE last desperate bid has been made to protect the viability of Victoria’s apple and pear industry and prevent the importation of inadequately checked apples and pears from New Zealand.
The Coalition have put into Parliament a legislative amendment which, if passed, would stop the importation of apples and pears from New Zealand until Biosecurity had reviewed their permit conditions. These conditions would still need to comply with the rulings of the Dispute Settlement body of the World Trade Organisation.
Federal Member for Murray, Dr Sharman Stone, said the Gillard Government had set such a dangerous precedent in not requiring special measures in bringing fresh apples and pears from New Zealand to Australia. The Fire Blight special conditions should be sufficient to ensure that other pests and diseases like the Leaf Curling European Canker are also stopped.
“There is now Fire Blight in 49 countries and no-one has eradicated the disease once it takes a hold.”
With Victoria producers accounting for approximately 30 percent of Australia’s apples and 90 percent of pears, Dr Stone said, “the thought of such a disease getting to Australia could hardly be contemplated.”
In her speech in Parliament, Dr Stone stressed the problem of the condemned antibacterial streptomycin which orchardists use extensively on their fruit trees in New Zealand. Australian growers do not use this chemical and have no wish to use it even if it was permitted in Australia.
There is also a huge impact on the bee industry in Australia. Bees are depended on to pollinate all of Australia’s commercial and non commercial crops. Under an emergency plan developed in 1997, all bee hives would have to be destroyed in areas where Fire Blight had broken out.
Dr Stone made the point that this is the first time an Australian Government has abrogated its responsibility to protect the nation from a disease.
“The extraordinary proposal by the Government to have such minimum conditions might reflect the fact that $58 million was slashed from the customs budget in the last financial year,” Sharman Stone said.
There are 4.7 million less air cargo consignments inspected as a result of these cuts and 2,150 less ships boarded on arrival for quarantine inspections. Altogether Labor has slashed $33.8 million from the Biosecurity budget, leading to the loss of 125 inspector jobs, who used to inspect arriving passengers and cargo.
“It seems this Government is happy to spend money on shonky pink batts and set top boxes, but when it comes to protecting our country from diseases there’s little action.” “The Coalition’s legislation will require the support of the Independents to pass. Let’s hope we can stop this nonsense,” Dr Stone said.

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