Disease threat is real, and Labor should step up action

These revelations should serve as a wake-up call to the Federal Labor Government.

There is an $80 billion industry at stake here. It would be nothing short of catastrophic if this disease reached our livestock.

We have known about this threat for eight weeks. Given the low level of intervention from the Labor Government, it is a miracle we haven’t had an outbreak already.

Two weeks ago I, along with my Nationals colleagues, called on the Labor Agriculture Minister to introduce foot mats at international airports.

It is only now, when viral fragments are found in multiple Australian sites, the minister declares foot mats as a necessary measure at airports. Two weeks ago he dismissed this obvious solution.

The fact is that Indonesia does not have FMD under control and it is escalating into more regions. The indecision of the Labor government is exacerbating the threat to Australian farmers and their herds. The government needs to focus on this issue, implement biosecurity and border responses to adequately prevent FMD decimating the livestock industry and the supply chains and communities that rely on it.

I’ve had local farmers call my office emotional and anxious about the prospect of losing their livestock. It’s simply not adequate for the government to continue to procrastinate on vital decisions.

I am calling on the Federal Government to offer 3D X-ray technology to Indonesia to screen passengers and their luggage before they hit our airports. This technology would assist biosecurity officers to recognise organic and plant matter and rapidly increase screening accuracy for all passengers before boarding.

There are threshold biosecurity and border questions that need to be answered by the Prime Minister. The government must assure Australians that their plan is adequate to prevent crossing the biosecurity threshold and destroying lives and livelihoods.

It’s time to toughen up and take control on FMD.