PUSH FOR STRONGER ACTION TO PROTECT AUSTRALIAN LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY

Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has reiterated his call that a temporary travel ban between Australia and Bali must be seriously considered.

The repeated call, made during a press conference last week, comes as Agriculture Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday revealed viral fragments of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) were detected in an Asian supermarket in Melbourne and in an undeclared beef product brought into Australia by a passenger arriving at Adelaide Airport from Indonesia.

Mr McCormack, who is the Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific, said while he understood Indonesia was an important trading partner of Australia and there would be ramifications in closing the border, the nation’s $80 billion agriculture industry was too important to risk.

“Foot and Mouth Disease has not been in our country for 130 years and to have two instances of this devastating disease detected on our shores is shocking,” Mr McCormack said.

“Desperate times require desperate measures.”

Mr McCormack said the development was proof positive the Labor Government needed to take stronger action to reduce the very real threat of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), which would devastate the multibillion-dollar Australian livestock industry.

Mr McCormack said the Foot and Mouth Disease threat was far more serious than the then Labor Government’s 2011 ban on live cattle exports to Indonesia as a kneejerk reaction to a television program on the ABC’s Four Corners program.

“This has the catastrophic potential of wiping billions of dollars from our agricultural industry, an $80 billion enterprise,” Mr McCormack said.

Mr McCormack said that whilst the move may be seen by some to be an over-reaction, it was certainly necessary because of the impending threat to our agriculture.

“I’ve had so many farmers, stock and station agents, abattoir owners and others expressing their fears to me about what FMD would do to Australia if it arrived in this country,” Mr McCormack said.

“Many Riverina farmers have told me, asked me and implored the Government to stop all travel to and from Bali. Now I do not necessarily disagree with that position, but I do think the Government has a responsibility to seriously consider all options to prevent an FMD outbreak on our shores.

“While I appreciate drastic steps may need to be taken, nothing should be taken off the table when it comes to protecting such an important industry.”

Mr McCormack said the Government should be doing everything it can here and on the ground in high-risk countries to stop the spread of FMD to Australia.

“Australia should provide every bit of assistance it can both financially and on the ground with our agriculture experts and biosecurity teams to help overcome this FMD problem, particularly in Bali and Indonesia where it has now killed thousands of head of livestock,” Mr McCormack said.

To date, the Opposition has called on the Albanese Labor Government to adopt a three-pronged attack to prevent the spread of FMD.

“We have called on Senator Watt to engage with his Indonesian counterpart, which I acknowledge he has done,” Mr McCormack said.

“We also called for disinfectant foot baths at airports, which has only just been accepted by the Government, as well as the fast tracking of the $20 million in Traceability Grants the Coalition had in its 2022 Budget to provide farm assistance measures, such as a genetic gene bank, 3D X-ray scanners and ear tags.”

Mr McCormack said not taking stronger action would be too risky for our agriculture and livestock industries.

“I appreciate disinfectant foot baths were effective when the equine influenza was prevalent in 2007, but what happens if people bring infected microbes or material on shoes inside their carry-on luggage?” Mr McCormack said.

“People generally take more than one pair of shoes when they travel overseas.

“Labor stopped live trade with Indonesia over perceived animal cruelty in one or two instances, yet Foot and Mouth Disease is far more cruel than what Four Corners might have aired 11 years ago.

“We have not had Foot and Mouth Disease – which affects cloven hoof animals, including cattle, sheep and pigs – for 130 years.

“This would devastate regional Australia.

“I acknowledge what the Government has done, even stepping up efforts, but it must do more and it must do it now.

“A temporary ban on Bali tourism must be considered. Compensate those affected if need be. That will be a small price to pay compared to what would happen if our national herd gets Foot and Mouth Disease or Lumpy Skin Disease.”