Primary producers will have the opportunity to provide feedback on a NSW Government plan to safeguard the State’s $21 billion food and fibre industry, as part of an upgraded biosecurity strategy.
Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said the purpose of the strategy is to:
- Set a clear vision for biosecurity and food safety in NSW;
- Map strategy objectives for Government, industry, and the community; and
- Outline key activities that will guide decision-making for farmers.
“The NSW Biosecurity and Food Safety Strategy 2022-2030 will be our blueprint for protecting the livelihoods, economy and environment against biosecurity and food safety risks,” Mr Saunders said.
“Biosecurity and food safety are shared responsibilities and everybody’s business.
“Recent outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease and Lumpy Skin Disease in Indonesia and varroa mite in NSW have shown us the critical need to be prepared, now and into the future.
“We have been working hard to build NSW’s capability and capacity to manage risk, invest in tools and technologies, and improve how we work together so we can better prevent and respond to threats and minimise any negative impacts.
“Your feedback and insights will help create a strategy we can deliver together to help fortify our economy, industry, environment and community for years to come.”
The strategy demonstrates a strong commitment to protecting NSW from biosecurity and food safety threats and builds on the government’s record investment of $163.9 million in biosecurity protection announced in the 2022-23 State Budget.
The draft NSW Biosecurity and Food Safety Strategy 2022-2030 is open for input online, www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/draft-bfs-strategy, until Thursday, 1 September 2022.
The Biosecurity Strategy will draw on the concept of ‘One Health’, which recognises the relationship between animal, plant and human health and the interdependencies between optimal biosecurity, food safety, and economic, social and environmental prosperity.
You can help protect NSW by reporting any suspect or unusual pests and diseases to NSW DPI via an online form or by calling the NSW DPI Biosecurity Helpline, 1800 680 244.
I really think borders should be closed before we realize we have left it too late. An old saying “Australia rides on the sheeps back” if this gets in the follow on with tourism and travel will be hugely impacted for our economy. Another saying “a stitch in time saves 9”. Please look after our regional and farming families.
In light of the federal governments reaction to this imminent threat, we can clearly see they have no conscious understanding of the threat which FMD posses to the future of this nation. We need to close our borders until Indonesia has this tragedy under control.
What is the point on spending all that money to help farmers recognise this disease ? It should have closed its borders to Indonesia until the threat had gone I am aware personally if a huge number of people travelling to Bali and as far as I can gather absolutely no checks on the way back in terms of shoes etc. this will be a case of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.
Being 100% proactive in this biosecurity threat is paramount, and the responsible authorities must make any decisions, difficult as they may be, to keep this threat out of Australia. Reactivity through poor decisions is not an option and would be a disaster that would affect all Australians.
Close the border until risk passes. Livestock industry too important to play Russian roulette with. FMD can cripple the livestock industry and cost thousands of jobs. Livestock prices have already dropped by up to 30% and regional towns and communities will be hit hard if FMD reaches Australia. Feral goats, pigs, camels and buffalo will be an almost insurmountable hurdle in attempts to eradicate FMD. Keep Australia FMD free!
Members of the Australian Livestock Markets Association (ALMA) provide livestock exchanges (saleyards) to around 1,200 stock and station agents and tens of thousands of livestock producers nationally. ALMA members include local government entities and private operators both large and small. The value of transactions through our members’ facilities is in excess of $6 billion annually. (ALMA is the peak national body representing the owners and operators of Australian saleyard/livestock exchange facilities.)
Clearly, Australia is under imminent threat from exotic animal diseases including, but not limited to: Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Lumpy Skin Disease, African Swine Fever, and Bird Flu. This threat will now remain in place into the far distant future, perhaps into perpetuity.
For some time, ALMA Members have had in place their individual Biosecurity and Exotic Animal Disease management plans. The ALMA Board and executive, participate in dialog and exercises with State and National agencies to ensure that these plans are tested and kept current
ALMA members are aware that much has been and continues to be done at government and industry level in planning and preparedness to manage an exotic animal disease incursion. However, we believe that not enough has been done to prevent such a disaster from happening.
Whilst we recognise that the Australian Government has implemented a range of measures to protect Australian biosecurity, particularly in light of the discovery of FMD in Indonesia. We are however concerned that the Government’s response and implementation of risk mitigation measures needs to be more aggressive. The discovery of FMD viral fragments in Australia is testament to the porosity of Australia’s border with regard to this critical issue.
We (ALMA), with the unanimous support of our members, have written to the Prime Minister urging the Australian Government, via the National Biosecurity Committee, relevant Ministers, and any other available agency to act with urgency to resource and put in place stringent and ongoing long-term arrangements to keep these threats to our national economy and food security from entering the country through any port, shipping or air.
Any support that the NSW Government can lend to this objective would be warmly welcomed.
Ken Rogers
President
Australian Livestock Markets Association
Close the borders and check all luggage
I agree with Karen, borders should be closed and the closure periodically reviewed. Impact would be catastrophic if the disease got in.