BY DAKOTA TAIT
The varroa mite outbreak at the Port of Newcastle has sparked concern, Australia's biosecurity systems aren't up to scratch.
NSW Farmers has raised the alarm on the possibility of more diseases breaching the country's border screening protocols.
The organisation's calling for the Government to undertake urgent reform of the biosecurity system.
Biosecurity Chair Ian McColl says it's deeply concerning.
"We've also had khapra beetle, we've had Japanese encephalitis affecting the pig industry," he said.
"Clearly the protocols that we have in place at the moment for our borders, aren't giving us the level of protection that we need as a community and as an industry."
"There's been a number of calls for reform over quite a long period of time, and I think this is just bringing home to us that the current system is not delivering what we need, and we need to reassess resourcing at our borders and at our ports."
Although the State Government has increased funding for biosecurity preparedness and response, NSW Farmers is calling for more investment in preventing the incursion of diseases, rather than a reactionary approach.
Mr McColl says livelihoods and industries are at risk
"There's no doubt that the recent incursions of foot-and-mouth disease in Indonesia have the potential to cost us $80 billion across the whole industry and the wider community," he said.
"The potential impact of that is really difficult to even get your head around those sorts of numbers."
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| Image credit: Port of Newcastle. |
