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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-09-10 Daily Xml
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Question Time

RAW MILK

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (16:33): I have a supplementary question. Are there known views from those in the dairy industry who produce pasteurised milk, particularly in that area?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (16:33): I thank the member for his most insightful question. Yes, there are. In fact, the dairy industry is overwhelmingly supportive of the government's position in pursuing these matters in relation to this particular cow share scheme.

Not only does most of the dairy industry understand the dangers associated with the human consumption of unpasteurised milk but they also understand the importance of the integrity to our industry and that is, we know that particularly overseas (I have talked about it in this place) emerging and growing markets like China are very concerned about food safety. It is critical that we are able to maintain a dairy industry here in South Australia of the highest integrity. That means scrupulous food safety standards.

We have a dairy industry that gets that. They understand the outbreaks associated with unpasteurised milk, and there is evidence of that all around the world. Where the practice of drinking unpasteurised milk increases, there is evidence, I have been told, that so too does the incidence of harm associated with that. It increases the risks significantly of suffering ill health effects.

The dairy industry is behind us 100 per cent and, overwhelmingly, the dairy industry understands the risks associated not just in terms of health risks, but they understand the potential threat to the integrity of the industry, and that will cost our industry dearly in terms of confidence, not just domestically but particularly internationally.

I have already had discussions with a number of interested parties, particularly during my Chinese visits and delegations, where there has been interest in developing milk powder processing here in South Australia. I can tell you, Mr President, that if we start having outbreaks of listeria and other such pathogens there will be no hope whatsoever of us ever being able to attract that sort of development and investment in our very important dairy industry.

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