Jo Palmer,Minister for Primary Industries and Water
Our Country and our State remain free of Foot and Mouth Disease and the Tasmanian Government is doing everything we can to keep this disease out.
Our national border is our first line of defence, and I have strongly advocated to Australia’s Agriculture Minister Murray Watt for the most rigorous protections possible to be maintained at that border.
At the Agriculture Ministers Meeting held yesterday, I outlined Tasmania’s firm support for a nationally coordinated approach to managing Foot and Mouth Disease and pushed for the greatest level of support to ensure Tasmania stays protected.
I have shared some of the concerns I have heard from Tasmanian farmers and travellers, and while it is excellent sanitiser foot mats will be rolled out at international airports, I have also called on the Federal Government to consider this added line of defence at all of Tasmania’s entry points.
Importantly, Biosecurity Tasmania officers are meeting inbound travellers across the State and conducting checks on their point of origin and personal items. If deemed necessary, returned travellers’ shoes and other items will be sanitised.
Foot and Mouth Disease is a highly contagious animal disease that can affect a number of livestock species. This disease has recently been detected in Bali in Indonesia, but it is not in Australia and we want to keep it that way. While the recent detection of trace amounts of Foot and Mouth Disease in a meat product at the national border highlights the effectiveness of our strong biosecurity systems, it also shows that we must all play a role to keep Tasmania safe.
The Tasmanian Government has already taken a range of steps to keep Foot and Mouth Disease out of Tasmania, including eight additional Biosecurity staff being deployed across the State to help deliver increased inspection and surveillance activities at our ports and airports, and new signage on display at Tasmania’s major arrival points.
We continue to collaborate with members of the agricultural sector and I have held meetings of Tasmania’s Agricultural Coordination Group where peak industries bodies have been provided with the latest updates and knowledge on Foot and Mouth Disease, as well as updates on other biosecurity concerns such as Lumpy Skin Disease and Varroa Mite.
We are also supporting on-farm biosecurity practices, and earlier this week I announced a new funding agreement with the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association that will provide $350,000 over three years to continue enhanced on-farm biosecurity engagement with the industry and the community.
Should Foot and Mouth Disease be detected in Australia, there are nationally agreed approaches and plans that would guide the response. Tasmania would support these arrangements and we are taking preventative action now. I encourage all Tasmanians to uphold their General Biosecurity Duty and do what they can to keep our State safe from disease.
I urge every traveller to follow biosecurity instructions and work with our border staff to keep Tasmania safe.
Foot and Mouth Disease can live for long periods on clothing, shoes and equipment, so it is important travellers clean these items thoroughly, especially if they have visited farms or rural areas of Indonesia.
Travellers coming into Australia and Tasmania from Indonesia must not carry any animal, meat or dairy products.
Tasmania’s biosecurity system is strong and ready to protect our environment and world-class agricultural and tourism industries, but we must all play our part.
Anyone with concerns that an animal has Foot and Mouth Disease should call the all hours Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.
