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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-15 Daily Xml
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MYRTLE RUST

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:25): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries regarding myrtle rust.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Last year the member for Hammond in another place sought information from the previous minister for agriculture about the threat of myrtle rust to South Australia. Since then the disease has spread extensively in New South Wales and into Queensland. It has the potential to devastate native forests which constitute 70 to 80 per cent of Australia's native trees, notably eucalypts, melaleucas and bottlebrushes. It can also affect logging and, indirectly, ecotourism.

It has been described by officers of the Nursery and Garden Industry Association of Australia as probably the biggest threat to Australia's ecosystem. I was interested to hear a brief speech by the member for Flynn in the House of Representatives on 19 March this year. Mr Ken O'Dowd MP spoke on this subject and I quote an excerpt from that speech:

It was first detected in New South Wales in 2010 and is thought to have been spread up the east coast by a major plant retailer. Since the disease has hit Queensland, over 1,100 cases have been discovered, spanning some 19 different council shires. Biosecurity Queensland has listed this disease as being impossible to eradicate. It spreads on the wind, making any attempt to contain it almost futile. We know that myrtle rust will significantly impact threatened plant species and dependent native fauna such as koalas, gliders and insects.

What plan does the government have in place through Biosecurity SA to combat the spread of myrtle rust from the Eastern States into South Australia?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:27): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Indeed, this is potentially a very damaging fungal infection. Myrtle rust is an introduced fungal disease that was first detected in New South Wales in 2010, as I am advised. The rust affects the plant family Myrtaceae. The disease is of concern because Myrtaceae is a dominant plant group in natural Australian ecosystems. The family of plants includes many common Australian native species and important commercial plantation timber species such as Australian blue gum.

In December 2010 following an extensive spread of myrtle rust into natural bushland in New South Wales, the National Management Group agreed that it was not technically possible to eradicate this disease. Myrtle rust is now widespread in New South Wales and Queensland coastal areas and has been found on 150 different host species. Last December the disease unfortunately was found in Victoria and has now been detected at 32 locations, mostly around metro Melbourne.

Myrtle rust is likely to spread to the extent of its biological range as the spores, as the honourable member mentioned, are readily transportable by air. The national Myrtle Rust Coordination Group is coordinating actions to assist the community, landowners and production industries to manage the impacts of the disease in urban, production and natural environments. The Australian government has provided $1.5 million to a national program to find solutions to manage myrtle rust.

In 2011-12 South Australia contributed to cost-sharing for myrtle rust as part of a national plant pest incursion response under the auspices of the national Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. Overall, South Australia's climatic environment is less suited to myrtle rust than that of the Eastern States. The potential economic and biological impact of the disease on South Australian industries and natural ecosystems is likely to be lower. The areas of Australia most at risk are the higher rainfall coastal areas. That is what I have been advised.

Within South Australia the areas more at risk are the higher rainfall coastal areas. South Australian industries that could be impacted by myrtle rust are the nursery and garden industry, blue gum plantation forests and apiarists. To reduce the risk of myrtle rust entering South Australia, regulated conditions of entry for plant material of the family Myrtaceae from jurisdictions with myrtle rust have been established. To ensure a coordinated response for the management of myrtle rust, a myrtle rust contingency plan has been prepared by PIRSA and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with input from industry stakeholders.

Ongoing surveillance of plant nurseries and native vegetation has not detected the disease within South Australia. So, that is good news. The Nursery and Garden Industry Association of South Australia has undertaken an extensive communications program with its members, informing them of the risks of myrtle rust, what to look for and what to do if they see anything unusual.

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