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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-02-05 Daily Xml
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Bills

Biosecurity Bill

Committee Stage

In committee.

(Continued from 4 February 2025.)

Clause 1.

Mr PEDERICK: As I understand it, yesterday I did ask a couple of questions around a couple of threats to this state on a biosecurity level. One was about the tomato rugose virus and also an update on where we are with the fruit fly management program at the minute. Certainly, in regard to the tomato virus I asked a specific question about whether or not the government were going to do their own internal review of how that is being managed, considering the impact on hundreds of people and businesses and millions of dollars lost, and also whether the government were looking at getting an independent external review.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Can I thank the member for Hammond for his question and for reiterating it for the purposes of the proceedings today. I have been provided the following information. I am advised that this bill does not affect the way in which the eradication response to tomato brown rugose fruit virus is managed or evaluated.

I am advised that as a signatory to the national Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed the state government is obliged to respond to exotic diseases, like the aforementioned virus, under national agreement. The Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed is a formal, legally binding agreement between Plant Health Australia, the Australian government, and all state and territory governments and national plant industry bodies. As a government-industry partnership, the deed outlines the national governance and investment in responding to and eradicating emergency plant pests, and has provided a consistent and agreed national approach for managing incursions since it was ratified in 2005.

The South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions is leading the nationally coordinated and funded response to the tomato brown rugose fruit virus under an agreed national response plan to eradicate the disease. The tomato brown rugose fruit virus eradication response plan was approved in November 2024 by the National Management Group, which comprises all Australian governments and affected industries that are also signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed.

The response plan includes agreed measures—including ongoing testing, surveillance and monitoring—to achieve eradication and support a pathway back to the production and trade of tomatoes. The National Management Group has committed $5 million to achieve the response objectives. Clause 11.5.1 of the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed states that:

11.5.1 Plant Health Australia must monitor and report to its members on:

(a) resource usage in the implementation of a Response Plan;

(b) Deed policy issues;

(c) the implementation of Biosecurity measures; and

(d) the implementation of the provisions of this Deed relating to Owner Reimbursement Costs.

In order to fulfil this obligation, I am advised that Plant Health Australia holds debriefs in order to gather, analyse and report on information arising from incidents and response plans. These debriefs are conducted in accordance with the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience's Lessons Management Handbook. In addition, PLANTPLAN, which is part of schedule 5 to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed, guides activities under the deed and states on page 32 of part 1 that:

Incident debriefs are a critical component of the stand down phase as they provide an opportunity for participants to highlight areas requiring improvement as well as positive outcomes.

Incident debriefs will be held at local, state and national levels following termination of the EPP response. It is essential that relevant personnel involved in the response are included in the debriefing process.

PHA and the ACPPO will coordinate a debriefing in regard to the operation of the EPPRD and PLANTPLAN to help inform any appropriate changes to PLANTPLAN or the EPPRD.

Debrief reports contain confidential information under the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed and for this reason cannot be made public without contravening clause 29 of the deed. The government is satisfied that the independent oversight provided by Plant Health Australia and the Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer through this debriefing and reporting process is sufficient and appropriate for identifying any areas requiring improvements and positive outcomes of incident responses, and will update processes as required to incorporate new information or address gaps identified by the outcomes of relevant incident debriefs.

In addition, and in response to any requests from industry nationally, the requirement for an efficiency audit has been built into the tomato brown rugose fruit virus eradication response plan and agreed by all parties. This is a routine, independent assessment applied to national responses to ensure that they are being applied as efficiently as they can be. Further to this, PIRSA undertakes after-action reviews of all its incident responses as part of its ongoing commitment to continuous improvement in emergency management.

I know that that was very lengthy, apologies, as I discovered reading the second reading speech into the bill and then the bill itself. All matters seem to be lengthy in regard to this bill, but there is a layered approach to after-the-fact review and analysis and assessment of the response which is not only done pursuant to nationally-agreed and binding deeds but done beyond the Department of Primary Industries and the South Australian government.

I hope that that addresses not only the question that the member for Hammond asked but also the concern, which is not unreasonably raised, by members of industry about whether there is a third-party perspective or a non-South Australian government review and perspective of how this incident or crisis has been managed.

Mr PEDERICK: My second question raised yesterday evening was as to an update around where we are with the latest fruit fly response, which has been ongoing for quite a few years and noting that there has been a recent outbreak at Glynde.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Thank you again to the member for Hammond for refreshing the committee's memory of the subsequent question, which was asked by him, about where we are up to with the fruit fly response. My advice is that the response is still underway and I guess that reflects that initial advice I gave to the committee late yesterday that a significant amount of additional funds has been provided to continue combatting this across South Australia.

Perhaps what I can offer the member—without having chapter and verse detail on how that response has been carried out and where it is up to—is that my advice is that the minister's office is prepared to offer the member for Hammond a departmental briefing on how that response is going, so that he can have the full particulars of how the response is being conducted and at what stage it is up to.

Mr PEDERICK: I am happy with that and I have no further questions up to schedule 2, and then I believe the Treasurer might have something to say.

Clause passed.

Remaining clauses (2 to 306) passed.

Schedule 1 passed.

Schedule 2.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I move:

That schedule 2, which is printed in erased type, be inserted in the bill.

Schedule 2 inserted.

Schedules 3, 4, 5 and 6 and title passed.

Bill reported with amendment.

Third Reading

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (15:59): This is a very important piece of legislation for our state's agricultural industry and biosecurity as a whole and I hope that it works appropriately for many, many decades to come. In this instance, I would like to thank the staff who are always available to do the committee stage. I appreciate their work in this field. I thank the Treasurer for his work here as well.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Police) (15:59): Very briefly, I thank the member for Hammond for his collegial approach to dealing with the bill before the house. As I said in my second reading comments, he, as well as other members that represent regional communities, including the member for Finniss, obviously have a very keen interest in this area, and we are grateful for their support for the bill.

Bill read a third time and passed.

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