Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:47): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries on the tomato brown rugose fruit virus. Given that we now are more than six weeks post detection of the virus, can the minister inform the chamber whether the South Australian government is acting to eradicate the virus as opposed to managing this virus, and does she agree that a coordinated and consistent national approach is needed to support our local growers, especially since the virus doesn't stop at state lines?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:48): I thank the honourable member for her question. I think it was somewhat answered in my previous answer about this virus just a few minutes ago; however, I am happy to elaborate further. When there is a disease that is exotic to Australia, so it hasn't been detected here before, and is considered to have a particular risk—as this one certainly does—then there are arrangements under national agreements that kick in. So hence the national discussions and decisions around whether it's considered to be able to be eradicated or whether we must move to a management plan.

At the moment, it's still considered to be feasible to eradicate—there hasn't been a decision to overturn that—and therefore that is why the quarantine measures that I alluded to in a previous answer are in place. It's important to note that it's still, as far as we can tell, contained to three properties in terms of the testing that has been returned and, therefore, the chances of eradication are quite positive.