Biosecurity measures from two sides of politics revealed

Speaking at the Australian Grains Industry Conference in Melbourne last week agriculture minister Murray Watt said his government had come in and bolstered spending in biosecurity.

"We are seeing issues on our doorstep with foot and mouth disease, we've had incursions with varroa mite, this is critical funding," he said.

"Biosecurity is critical and that's why we've contributed $267 million in ongoing funding, we could not believe the proposed cuts to biosecurity from the previous government."

"For the first time our biosecurity sector will have sustainable funding, rather than relying on temporary budget to budget funding."

However, National Party leader David Littleproud accused the government of not looking out for Australian interests by implementing an additional levy on agriculture.

"What kind of government imposes tax on own farmers for foreign interests to export grain to their country?" he asked the conference.

"This move holds our own farmers back and lets foreign competitors in."

To counter this he said the Coalition would move to a fully costed biosecurity funding model with no contribution from the agriculture sector.

However, Mr Watt said in its time in government the Coalition had overseen cuts to the biosecurity sector.

"We couldn't believe the proposed cuts to biosecurity with so many issues in that space."

Mr Littleproud said the decision not to implement further levies on importers was taken at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We felt it was strategic not to impose a levy on industries that were on their knees at that time."

Now he said he felt a container levy between $20 and $25 a container would fill a role in helping fund critical biosecurity projects.

Mr Watt said he did not think the agriculture sector should be funding the entire biosecurity program but said he felt it was appropriate they were involved in the payment system.

"Farmers shouldn't bear the full cost but as direct beneficiaries we felt it was reasonable to ask them to make a contribution."

He said the government's model would involve 48 per cent funding from importers, 44pc from the government and 8pc from other sources, including agriculture.

The additional funding would go towards programs such as a $38 million three year program to combat hitchhiker pests such as Khapra beetle, one of the grains industry's biggest biosecurity concerns.

Mr Watt said the new funding model would be more sustainable than those in the past and would allow the sector to do its job rather than constantly worrying about funding.

"Biosecurity programs will be able to implement measures permanently, we will be able to streamline processes and make investments in better technology systems."