Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:40): Can the minister explain why tonnes of perfectly edible tomatoes are being destroyed and are not able to be sold in South Australia, despite assurances that they can be treated to eliminate the virus?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:41): Certainly, I can. At the moment we have restrictions to trade in various different forms to three different states: Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. Some of those restrictions apply on a state basis—namely, Queensland and Western Australia. The third, New South Wales, is not applying it to the entire state.

If we were to lift the current restrictions and enable fruit to be sold here in South Australia, fruit from one of the infected properties, there is a very high likelihood that all states would close their borders to all South Australian tomatoes. That would affect all the businesses that do not currently have the disease, that are potentially many hundreds of kilometres away, and cause a significantly increased negative impact to our South Australian growers. That is why the quarantine measures are so important, and that is why they are currently in place.