Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

In reply to the Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) ().5 February 2025).

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries): I am advised:

Owner reimbursement costs for the tomato brown rugose fruit virus response are considered nationally under the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed.

Being a plant nursery, SA Tomato is represented by Greenlife Industry Australia as a signatory to the national Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed.

While it's true that these costs cannot be paid until a national response plan has been agreed, my department has been taking steps since the early stages of the response to support this business in the assessment of these costs in order to make that process as efficient as possible.

Those measures have included:

engaging Plant Health Australia, the custodians of the national deed, early to understand the formula that is applied in assessing claims and so that this could be communicated with the business to help them to prepare for the claim.

engaging with Greenlife Industry Australia nationally, who have been exposed to similar claims interstate to ask them to work with the business to prepare for the assessment process.

ensuring that PIRSA staff undertook their own, early assessment of impact to understand the likely quantum of claim so that all national contributors could understand this early, which helped in having these costs agreed in the national response plan.