Biosecurity

Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said Labor has wasted six months on its Senate inquiry into Red imported fire ants in Australia – ‘don’t let this come back to bite us’. Mr Littleproud said Labor has been too slow to act on key Senate inquiry recommendations, allowing the red imported fire ant biosecurity zone to progressively increase in size.

Queensland’s agriculture sector and local councils have united in a powerful call-to-action, urging the state government to prioritise biosecurity. With growing biosecurity risks on the horizon, industry and community leaders have called on the government to work with agriculture to develop and implement an effective plan, backed by an investment commitment, that will safeguard the future of our farms, environment, and economy.

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An international airline has entered an enforceable undertaking with the Australian Government after it failed to declare two dogs’ arrival to the country, breaching Australian biosecurity measures. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which has regulatory powers for Australia’s biosecurity as part of the Biosecurity Act 2015, found United Airlines had breached its reporting requirements twice...

National preparedness to manage future incursions of Asian black-spined toads into Australia has been strengthened with today’s launch of the National Preparedness Plan: Asian Black-Spined Toad by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions. Andreas Glanznig, CEO of the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, said the Plan provides a valuable roadmap for governments to prevent, plan and respond to a possible Asian black-spined toad incursion.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says more needs to be done now to prepare Victorian farmers for the potential arrival of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, which has the ability to devastate Victoria’s poultry industry and native wildlife … additional urgent action to bolster biosecurity measures to protect the state's poultry farmers and broader agricultural sector is required and everyone has a role to play.

"The decision is a massive win for common sense and community voices ... Narrow-minded sectional groups will still claim these dogs are dingoes but for people who have seen them up close they know the truth. The order talks about dingoes but as most already know this order allows dog men to control wild dogs – hybrid killing machines, dingo and domestic crossbreds – on the edge of farmland": Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley.

Bumble bees in Tasmania are being geared up with micro radio transmitters and cameras to help scientists uncover their environmental impact and crucial role in crop pollination. Delivered through Hort Innovation’s Frontiers investment program and led by Western Sydney University, the $3.3M initiative will produce a comprehensive large-scale study of the Buff-tailed Bumble bee.

Member for Mallee, Dr. Anne Webster, will stand with Mallee farmers and her Nationals colleagues shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds more farmers from across the country today (September 10), in an unprecedented rally against Labor’s anti-farming ideology. Dr Webster said Labor is destroying agriculture and making life impossible for producers of food and fibre, due to endless cuts to the regions, anti-farming legislation and unnecessary red tape.