New Victorian biosecurity laws unlikely, despite farmers desperate calls
VICTORIA is unlikely to get new legislation to protect the state’s biosecurity from animal activists invading farms, despite desperate calls from farmers.
VICTORIA is unlikely to get new legislation to protect the state’s biosecurity from animal activists invading farms, despite desperate calls from farmers.
The Coalition is standing by its position that Victoria’s legislation and regulations are adequate, while Victorian Agricultural Minister Jaclyn Symes remains quiet.
Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said he supported harsher penalties and would like to see something like the NSW Biosecurity Act, which can see individuals fined up to $220,000 for creating a biosecurity risk, introduced in Victoria.
“Having some seriousness about dealing with people who (don’t follow biosecurity protocols) absolutely needs to be dealt with,” he said. “There needs to be a deterrent so they do take it seriously.”
Mr Jochinke said activists failing to change their clothes and footwear before entering a she could wipe out an industry through the spread of disease.
VFF egg group vice-president Brian Ahmed, who has had activists break into his Werribee farm, said the poultry industry was most concerned about the spread of avian influenza.
He said the disease, which could be spread by activists simply walking in duck poo before trespassing on a farm, was untreatable and required the killing of birds on the affected farm and surrounding farms.
“It happened in NSW a couple of years ago and they had to cull about half a million birds,” he said. “An outbreak on one farm with about 50,000 birds, after the clean-up and everything, would probably cost the farm $5 million.”
NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said his state’s legislation, introduced in 2017, made it simple for people to understand their responsibilities and ensured the state’s reputation for safe, disease-free food.
“Under the Act, there are strong penalties for those who create a biosecurity risk or spread a pest/disease, particularly if it is undertaken intentionally or recklessly,” he said.
“The maximum penalties range from $220,000 to $1.1 million, imprisonment for up to three years in the case of an individual, or from $440,000 to $2.2 million in the case of a corporation.”
However, Mr Blair did acknowledge that even with the Act biosecurity risks were an “ongoing challenge”.
He said he was “exceptionally concerned” that controversial animal activist group Aussie Farms was “inciting illegal trespass” and “may also be facilitating a significant biosecurity incident in (the) state’s primary industries.”
Victorian shadow agriculture spokesman Peter Walsh said a better way to protect the agricultural industry was for the Government to provide long-term funding to the state’s biosecurity programs. “If Labor doesn’t have confidence in its own biosecurity programs, neither will our farmers, which is why it must provide permanent funding,” he said.
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