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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-10-17 Daily Xml
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Motions

Biosecurity Management

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (12:41): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges the importance of South Australia continuing to effectively manage biosecurity from the threat of invasive pests and diseases;

(b) highlights the state's ongoing efforts in managing the risks to South Australia posed by animal and plant pests and diseases, food-borne illnesses and misuse of rural chemicals;

(c) highlights the state government's commitment to keeping fruit fly and other plant pests out of the state through a range of prevention, detection and eradication measures;

(d) welcomes the Liberal government's investment in biosecurity, including a commitment to install two new quarantine bins in the lead-in to the Riverland, as well as more signage and monitoring of the bins;

(e) notes the pressure from the horticulture pest on South Australia beyond our borders and welcomes national collaboration in dealing with certain invasive pests and diseases; and

(f) acknowledges the continual biosecurity pressure on the fishing and aquaculture sector and the strong ongoing industry response to those threats.

I rise to speak today on this motion and acknowledge the commitment and efforts of the Marshall Liberal government to the important preventative measures it has been taking to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious disease in crops and livestock, and in the marine environment, to assist in protecting, sustaining and enhancing the value of primary production across the state of South Australia.

South Australia has much to protect. The gross value of agricultural production to the economy of South Australia is substantial, estimated to be worth upwards of $7.2 billion, according to the most recent ABARES data from 2016-17. Key commodities that make up the gross value include wheat at $1.2 billion, cattle and calves at $609 million and sheep and lambs at $579 million. The horticulture industry has been estimated to have a farmgate value of upwards of $1.25 billion, while the fishery industry has been valued at over $500 million, which includes the wild catch sector, valued at an estimated $265 million, and the aquaculture sector at $252 million respectively.

These are substantial and important industries for South Australia, the economy, our regions, communities and farming families. Our ability to maintain and grow these values depends on the health and condition of our primary production enterprises and their markets, and ensuring that our agriculture and horticulture, wild catch and aquaculture sectors are able to continue to operate, protected from biosecurity threats.

These biosecurity measures guard these industries from biosecurity threats that can damage productivity and, importantly, protect their ease of access to international markets. South Australia has a history of taking biosecurity threats seriously, and efforts to address these threats have been ongoing. South Australia has tackled these issues on several fronts, including the use of legislation, regulation, communication, education and, importantly, the hard work of a wide range of industry sectors to achieve biosecurity protection and enhancement.

South Australia's effort in protecting our agricultural and fishery sectors has been long run and has stood South Australia in good stead for the management of disease, pest plants and animals. There is significant coordination within this state and linkages to national initiatives, with emphasis on the management of animal and plant pests and diseases. Industry bodies, such as Primary Producers SA and its affiliated organisations, such as Livestock SA and Primary Industries and Regional Development South Australia, take a strong role in supporting, building awareness of, advocating for and coordinating initiatives to minimise and prevent the spread of animal and plant pests and diseases.

PIRSA, as the state lead agency, assists in coordinating a range of initiatives associated with livestock health and disease management, including communicating and undertaking compliance related to reporting, management and requirements for the movement of stock for the management of diseases such as ovine Johne's disease, footrot, sheep lice and ovine brucellosis. Since the Marshall Liberal government's election, PIRSA has initiated changes to include the establishment of a new South Australian ovine Johne's disease management program and modifications to the South Australian footrot management program.

These new programs have been developed by Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA), in close liaison with the South Australian Sheep Advisory Group and Livestock SA, and are in alignment with the newly announced national OJD management arrangements. These programs are a great example of industry and government working together to improve biosecurity management for our state. Coordination of these programs is linked and assisted by the National Livestock Identification System.

Primary Industries and Regions SA also take a key role in protecting the fishery and agricultural industries from aquatic diseases through initiatives, which include preparation for and prevention of disease outbreak, surveillance and regulation in relation to the movement of aquatic species. Disease outbreak in marine environments poses many challenges for management and containment.

Management of disease outbreaks and invasive species incursions is a joint responsibility for government, industry and recreational boaters and fishers. Emergency response programs to aquatic disease or invasive species incursions involves a coordinated response between our state government agencies, including Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Department for Environment and Water and industry groups.

South Australia has taken biosecurity seriously over a long time, in particular providing local attention to the management and control of pest plant and animal species. Legislative controls to support the management of pest plant and animal control have evolved over time and have included legislation such as the Animal and Plant Control (Agricultural Protection and Other Purposes) Act 1986, which linked animal and plant control boards to local government and operated prior to the assent of the Natural Resources Management Act in 2004. The ongoing management and regulation of declared pest plants and animals, including requirements to halt their transportation, sale and spread, are some of the key tools used for preventing the spread of invasive declared pest plants and animal species.

NRM regions and NRM boards also undertake detailed planning and action for the management and delivery of pest plant and animal management. This process involves the identification of high-risk plants and animals and identifies strategies to address their management, containment and/or eradication. I look forward to our government supporting the continuation and enhancement of this work and important regulation through the preparation of the landscape SA act. When enacted, this legislation will replace the current NRM Act and will enable our state to focus efforts on, and involve the community and landholders in, the management of invasive plant and pest species for the protection of our state's important agricultural industries in natural environments.

The serious implication of the impacts of pest plants and animals on agricultural productivity has long been recognised. The threat of phylloxera to the wine grape industry of South Australia has been well documented. Wine grape production in South Australia has an estimated farmgate value of $658 million, according to PIRSA in 2018. This sector has the potential to be impacted by the substantial and significant biosecurity threat. The Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board of South Australia, trading as Vinehealth Australia, cites grape phylloxera as the greatest biosecurity threat to grapevines in South Australia.

Phylloxera, a small soft-bodied insect pest that feeds on the roots of grapevines, causes a decline in vine health over a number of years until the death of the vine between five and six years after infestation. A key issue viticulturalists face with phylloxera is that, short of complete prevention, phylloxera resistant rootstocks provide the only option for managing it. Given the lack of options to manage the disease, and the dire consequences of infestation, legislation was introduced in the 1800s in South Australia with the aim of preventing infestation.

Today, the viticulture and wine industry remains vigilant and seeks to maintain high standards in its protection of vineyards in South Australia, which includes the promotion of best practice management, education and information. These efforts are backed by legislation, in the form of the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Act 1995, to ensure best practice management to avoid cross-contamination between states across the highly mobile viticulture and wine industry.

Ongoing investment is important in the protection of the Riverland's fruit fly free status. The Marshall Liberal government continues to invest in biosecurity measures and is enhancing its efforts to protect the estimated $1.2 billion horticulture industry across the state from the invasion of fruit fly. The investment is vitally important to ensure the security of the Riverland region's fruit fly free status, secure the future of horticulture businesses and communities, and ensure access to international markets.

The potential impact of fruit fly is substantial, with the risk of infestation having the potential to render fruit worthless, and with substantial costs to producers and significant efforts required of government and industry to contain the infestation. The monitoring program to ensure detection is vital. Consider the fruit fly outbreak in 2016 under the previous government, which cost a whopping $1.5 million to eradicate. It was said that this particular outbreak only happened because of lax management by those responsible for inspecting traps and a lack of resources at the time. Such a simple mistake could have been avoided if the support and resources were available for use. We must ensure that this is done so that we can circumvent more unnecessary outbreaks.

The investment by the Marshall Liberal government has enabled the installation of two new quarantine bins and signage at key entry points into the Riverland, including on the state border between Renmark and Wentworth, and on the Purnong Road near Mannum. This increases the state's total of fruit fly quarantine bin sites to 18, raising the profile of the need for fruit fly disposal for travellers and visitors to the regions.

The Marshall Liberal government's investment in the prevention and management of fruit fly infestation includes significant investment targeted at:

monitoring via a statewide trapping grid, which includes the continuation of checking 7,500 trap sites across the state (over 100,000 trap checks per year);

the appointment of a dedicated fruit fly coordinator to work with industry, co-funded by industry and government;

an increase of random roadblocks from 11 in 2017-18 to 14 in 2018-19;

opening the seasonal quarantine station at Pinnaroo earlier;

additional signage leading into the Riverland at main entry points into the state and around quarantine bins;

sterile insect technology release and male annihilation technique baiting in an interstate buffer zone to protect the Riverland Pest Free Area (PFA) border controls, including the operation of South Australia's permanent quarantine stations located at Sturt Highway at Yamba, between Mildura and Renmark; Eyre Highway at Ceduna; Barrier Highway at Oodla Wirra; and Mallee Highway between Murrayville and Pinnaroo;

higher security at quarantine stations to ensure empty fruit bins being transported are properly cleaned and extra bin inspections at Yamba and Pinnaroo quarantine stations; trucks with rotting fruit will be turned around at the border;

increased audits of accredited businesses transporting produce into the state;

the continuation of checking 7,500 trap sites across the state (over 100,000 trap checks per year);

launching a newly branded fruit fly awareness campaign;

movement controls and conditions of entry—interstate certification assurances and compliance arrangements;

random roadblocks; and

the eradication of isolated detections.

Maintaining the region's fruit fly free status has many benefits, including:

protecting the value of commercial fruit and vegetable industries;

protecting access to export markets without requiring additional treatment of fruit;

savings to horticultural enterprises through not having to implement cold and chemical treatments to treat affected produce. The citrus industry saves an estimated $4.2 million a year because cold and chemical treatments are not required; and

homegrown fruit and vegetables need fewer pesticides.

Certainly, the management of fruit fly is a collaborative approach between Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. The promotion of maintaining the fruit fly free status of South Australia is shared by interstate agencies and PIRSA, with the assistance from local government, industry and businesses that are keenly aware of the importance of maintaining the fruit fly free status.

Collaboration, coordination, compliance and, importantly, communication are key to the management of fruit fly, as they are with the great many biosecurity efforts that are undertaken across the state and between states. I commend this motion to the house.

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (12:55): I rise to largely support the motion, but I also seek to amend it. The amendment covers a number of areas specifically and relates to paragraphs (j) and (l). The substance of the motion is retained. In fact, the wording of the original motion stays in place, but it has an addition. Accordingly, in paragraph (d) after the words 'as well as more signage and monitoring of the bins', I move to insert the words:

and acknowledges the action taken by the previous Labor government to upgrade biosecurity in South Australia—including the development of the $3 million SIT (sterile insect technology) facility in the Upper Spencer Gulf;

Also, in relation to paragraph (f), which currently reads:

(f) acknowledges the continual biosecurity pressure on the fishing and aquaculture sector and the strong ongoing industry response to those threats

I move to insert the words:

and acknowledges the former Labor government's commitment to the oyster industry, including the $1.6 million fee relief package announced in February 2018, benefiting the state's 155 oyster businesses, and the $1 million in funding for additional support for the industry.

I welcome the motion by the member for MacKillop, and I hope he welcomes the amendments. Biosecurity is incredibly important and, as a state and as a nation, we cannot underestimate just how important it is. It is also important that we have a bipartisan approach to biosecurity. It is always welcome when incoming governments build on the essentially solid foundations that were already in place when it comes to biosecurity in this state.

Just recently, I came across an interesting article in The Australian by Alan Kohler, which I like reading. It often has some very worthwhile insights.

Members interjecting:

Mr HUGHES: I read widely. I read The Australian and then I consume The Guardian to get the balance. Anyway, there was an interesting article in the business section of The Australian, which was about a comparison between Australia and Chile, no pun intended. We are not necessarily comparing apples with apples here—it might be apples with oranges.

The article was actually about cherries, and it pointed out that Australia and Chile produced back in 2001 an equal number in tonnage of cherries of around about 7,000 tonnes a piece. As of last year, Australia had increased that to 20,000 tonnes of cherries produced, but Chile aimed for a target of 180,000 tonnes. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debated adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 12:59 to 13:59.

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