Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:25): I suspect they are writing that advertisement pretty quickly. I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to addressing questions to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development regarding South Australia's horticultural sector.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: The opposition understands that vegetable producer Perfection Fresh Australia has written to the minister and her department outlining their serious concerns and frustrations in the processes and procedures relating to their management of the biosecurity incursion regarding tomato brown rugose virus. Despite their own thorough management and internal quarantine procedures, the blanket orders placed upon their business have been described as 'wholly unworkable'. They feel it equates to their business having zero options, other than to shut down and dismiss staff. My questions to the minister are:

1. Is the minister satisfied that Perfection Fresh Australia and other South Australian businesses affected by the tomato brown rugose fruit virus have been afforded procedural fairness regarding all offers made by the Malinauskas Labor government on 23 September 2024?

2. Did the minister and her department, however it may be currently staffed, consider any potential alternative measures before making orders pursuant to the Plant Health Act on 23 September 2024?

3. Given how contagious this virus is, does the minister anticipate any further orders pursuant to the Plant Health Act to be delivered to South Australian horticultural businesses in the coming days and weeks?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:27): I thank the honourable member for her question. Quarantine orders on businesses are not put in place lightly. PIRSA has been in close communication with the businesses, obviously. There have been over 2,900 tests and samples in regard to this virus. In terms of the alternatives, there are a couple of alternatives, which I have outlined already in this place this week. I would be interested to know which of them those opposite are advocating for.

One of the alternatives would be to lift the quarantine restrictions. The outcome of that would be that other South Australian growers would be restricted from selling their tomato fruit interstate. So likely every other jurisdiction would put up the walls to South Australian tomatoes. The impacts of that on other South Australian growers and their workforces would be absolutely significant. If that is what the opposition is advocating, they should come out and say so.

In terms of whether future orders could be put in place, the important thing here is that we are relying on the evidence that is to hand. Currently, the sampling and testing has shown that this disease is limited to three businesses here in South Australia. It has not spread, according to the evidence—there are no detections at other premises.

Some of that evidence is still coming in, but that is where we are at the moment. Therefore, the most responsible thing to do, notwithstanding the difficulties and challenges faced by the three affected businesses, for the South Australian industry and for the Australian industry is to have the quarantine orders in place. They haven't been done lightly, they have been done with the livelihoods and businesses of the rest of South Australia in mind. If those opposite think that they should be lifted and we should let it rip with all the subsequent impacts on other growers and their workers, why don't they say so?