ABOUT 340,000 biosecurity risk items were intercepted across Australian entry points and borders last year, including those which could “decimate” local agriculture.
Federal Agriculture and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud said today, at Sydney airport, that the biosecurity monitoring team and their counterparts around Australia had caught and neutralised more than 5000 threats per week.
“The 165 women and men stationed at Sydney Airport are on our front line, defending Australia and our clean, green farms and food from invading diseases and pests,” he said.
“Agriculture, fisheries and forestry employ more than 300,000 Australians, pump $63 billion to our economy and supply 93 per cent of our domestic food according to the NFF, so it’s worth protecting.”
Mr Littleproud said confiscated items included duck tongues, chicken feet, cooked eggs, a barbequed rat, lizard’s feet and skinned frogs.
He said any one of the intercepted items could be carrying deadly pests or diseases which could “decimate Australian farming and our environment - or carry a disease affecting humans”.
“In 2017, the biosecurity team at Sydney Airport seized more than 20,000 kilograms of meat, around 7000 kilograms of seafood, 3000 kilograms of seeds and 2000 kilograms of bananas,” he said.
“We continue to improve the system to protect our $63 billion agricultural industries, the environment and community health.
“We thank the women and men who work day and night to keep our country safe from threats to our farming, our food and our health - they are some of Australia’s finest.”
The Coalition Government provided up to $200 million over four years to strengthen Australia’s biosecurity system through the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, on top of an additional $100 million to fight pests and weeds.
Since 2013, the Coalition has increased biosecurity investment by over 29pc totalling $783.2m this financial year.
A recent report, however, has urged more federal government spending and focus on preventative biosecurity actions instead of investing in less productive eradication programs.
It also recommended a levy be imposed on farmers which would bolster spending on preventing biosecurity outbreaks like Foot and Mouth Disease.
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Colin Bettles
Has been the Canberra Bureau Chief for Fairfax Agricultural Media since 2010 - survived the hung parliament - former media manager at Western Australian Cricket Association now covering national agricultural and rural issues in federal politics.
Has been the Canberra Bureau Chief for Fairfax Agricultural Media since 2010 - survived the hung parliament - former media manager at Western Australian Cricket Association now covering national agricultural and rural issues in federal politics.
