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Sunday, July 24, 2022 8:06:15 PM
Labor resists calls to close border to Indonesia after foot-and-mouth viral fragments detected in SA
"Smiles and unity at the Pacific Islands Forum mask tough questions shelved for another day"
Related: PM backs ‘strongest ever’ biosecurity measures as farmers, business say keep Indonesia border open
By James Massola and Patrick Hatch Updated July 24, 2022
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-backs-strongest-ever-foot-and-mouth-measures-warns-against-border-closure-20220723-p5b40f.html
The Liberal-National Coalition (Australia's conservative folks), now they are
in opposition, of course will milk (pun intended) this virus for all it's worth.
Agriculture minister Murray Watt says federal government confident new biosecurity measures enough to protect livestock industry
Foot-and-mouth disease viral fragments were detected in a beef product at Adelaide
airport leading to calls to close Australia’s border to Indonesia.
Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Josh Butler
Thu 21 Jul 2022 17.57 AEST
Last modified on Thu 21 Jul 2022 18.09 AEST
The federal government is resisting calls to close Australia’s border to Indonesia over the foot-and-mouth disease threat, after more fragments of the potentially devastating livestock virus were detected in South Australia.
The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, said he was confident that new federal biosecurity measures would be sufficient to keep out foot-and-mouth disease, which could threaten Australia’s entire meat industry, as farmers call on the government to not overreact.
“I can put my hand on my heart and say to Australians that this is the strongest biosecurity response any Australian government has ever imposed in relation to a biosecurity episode,” Watt said on Thursday.
Foot-and-mouth disease: airports to step up precautions as FMD fragments found in meat products in Australia
Read more > https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/20/foot-and-mouth-disease-australian-airports-to-step-up-precautions-as-farmers-grow-anxious
Watt told the ABC fragments of the virus had been detected in an undeclared beef product at Adelaide airport this week. The product was among a number of items of biosecurity concern declared by a traveller. It follows confirmation on Wednesday that fragments of the virus were found .. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/20/foot-and-mouth-disease-australian-airports-to-step-up-precautions-as-farmers-grow-anxious .. in pork products on sale in Melbourne imported from China.
The viral fragments do not pose an infection risk, a spokesperson from the department of agriculture, fisheries and forestry said.
“Australia does not have cases of FMD [foot-and-mouth disease],” they said. “The test does not indicate live virus but viral fragments. Proper heat treating destroys the virus but would not destroy the fragments.
“Australia is and remains free from FMD and [African swine fever]. This result does not change Australia’s disease status.”
The Coalition home affairs spokesperson, Karen Andrews, and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce called on the Labor government to consider closing Australia’s border to Indonesia, which is experiencing an outbreak of the disease.
“This is not something that Labor can take a softly softly approach, and if this means they have to slam the border shut to Indonesia, to Bali, they need to be taking serious action and doing so,” Andrews said.
Watt saidon Thursday that this was not under consideration, and any such move would be “incredibly damaging” to Australia’s trade relationship with Indonesia.
“We have no plans to close the borders to Indonesia or any of the many other countries who have foot-and-mouth disease,” he told Sky News, noting that other countries including China, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Africa and India were also experiencing outbreaks.
Foot-and-mouth is not dangerous to humans, but its detection could force the widespread destruction of livestock. The Cattle .. https://www.theguardian.com/business/cattles .. Council of Australia said that if foot-and-mouth disease entered Australia, it could cost the livestock industry $80bn over 10 years.
Watt told the ABC that even one detection of the live virus could shut down the industry.
“The reason this would be such a devastating blow is that the rest of the world would treat Australia as having foot-and-mouth disease, which would pretty much shut down our livestock export industry overnight,” he said.
The virus can be carried on shoes and clothes. The federal government has gradually increased biosecurity measures at the border, including disinfectant foot mats at airports, higher scrutiny on passenger declarations and of all passengers entering from Indonesia, and shoe cleaning.
Watt said people arriving from Indonesia should clean their shoes, or even consider leaving them behind.
The National Farmer’s Federation president, Tony Mahar, was among the agriculture leaders who called for a step-up of biosecurity controls, but said the government should not yet close the border, citing export consequences.
Foot-and-mouth: the livestock virus brewing at Australia’s borders
Read more > https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2022/jul/14/foot-and-mouth-the-livestock-virus-brewing-at-australias-borders
The shadow agriculture minister and Nationals leader, David Littleproud .. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/david-littleproud , who has accused the government of delay in responding to the crisis, did not repeat the calls from his colleagues to consider closing the border to Indonesia .
“We don’t believe that they should be taking this off the table yet but it should be predicated on science,” he said.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton .. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/peter-dutton , called on the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to take stronger action.
“Australians need to hear that the prime minister is in charge of what is a very significant threat to our livestock industry and to the broader economy,” he told 2GB radio.
The independent MP for the SA seat of Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie, added to calls for a temporary closure of the border to Indonesia.
“Following the detection of viral fragments of foot-and-mouth disease at Adelaide airport in recent days, the risk of this outbreak spreading to regional Australia is just too great,” she said.
The president of the Cattle Council of Australia, Lloyd Hick, said the federal biosecurity system was working but called for vigilance.
“CCA appreciates that the government has been constantly reassessing the safeguards it has in place,” he said. “The biosecurity response should match the threat. We will need more resources as the risks increase.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/21/labor-resists-calls-to-close-border-to-indonesia-after-foot-and-mouth-viral-fragments-detected-in-sa
"Smiles and unity at the Pacific Islands Forum mask tough questions shelved for another day"
Related: PM backs ‘strongest ever’ biosecurity measures as farmers, business say keep Indonesia border open
By James Massola and Patrick Hatch Updated July 24, 2022
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-backs-strongest-ever-foot-and-mouth-measures-warns-against-border-closure-20220723-p5b40f.html
The Liberal-National Coalition (Australia's conservative folks), now they are
in opposition, of course will milk (pun intended) this virus for all it's worth.
Agriculture minister Murray Watt says federal government confident new biosecurity measures enough to protect livestock industry
Foot-and-mouth disease viral fragments were detected in a beef product at Adelaide
airport leading to calls to close Australia’s border to Indonesia.
Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Josh Butler
Thu 21 Jul 2022 17.57 AEST
Last modified on Thu 21 Jul 2022 18.09 AEST
The federal government is resisting calls to close Australia’s border to Indonesia over the foot-and-mouth disease threat, after more fragments of the potentially devastating livestock virus were detected in South Australia.
The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, said he was confident that new federal biosecurity measures would be sufficient to keep out foot-and-mouth disease, which could threaten Australia’s entire meat industry, as farmers call on the government to not overreact.
“I can put my hand on my heart and say to Australians that this is the strongest biosecurity response any Australian government has ever imposed in relation to a biosecurity episode,” Watt said on Thursday.
Foot-and-mouth disease: airports to step up precautions as FMD fragments found in meat products in Australia
Read more > https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/20/foot-and-mouth-disease-australian-airports-to-step-up-precautions-as-farmers-grow-anxious
Watt told the ABC fragments of the virus had been detected in an undeclared beef product at Adelaide airport this week. The product was among a number of items of biosecurity concern declared by a traveller. It follows confirmation on Wednesday that fragments of the virus were found .. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/20/foot-and-mouth-disease-australian-airports-to-step-up-precautions-as-farmers-grow-anxious .. in pork products on sale in Melbourne imported from China.
The viral fragments do not pose an infection risk, a spokesperson from the department of agriculture, fisheries and forestry said.
“Australia does not have cases of FMD [foot-and-mouth disease],” they said. “The test does not indicate live virus but viral fragments. Proper heat treating destroys the virus but would not destroy the fragments.
“Australia is and remains free from FMD and [African swine fever]. This result does not change Australia’s disease status.”
The Coalition home affairs spokesperson, Karen Andrews, and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce called on the Labor government to consider closing Australia’s border to Indonesia, which is experiencing an outbreak of the disease.
“This is not something that Labor can take a softly softly approach, and if this means they have to slam the border shut to Indonesia, to Bali, they need to be taking serious action and doing so,” Andrews said.
Watt saidon Thursday that this was not under consideration, and any such move would be “incredibly damaging” to Australia’s trade relationship with Indonesia.
“We have no plans to close the borders to Indonesia or any of the many other countries who have foot-and-mouth disease,” he told Sky News, noting that other countries including China, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Africa and India were also experiencing outbreaks.
Foot-and-mouth is not dangerous to humans, but its detection could force the widespread destruction of livestock. The Cattle .. https://www.theguardian.com/business/cattles .. Council of Australia said that if foot-and-mouth disease entered Australia, it could cost the livestock industry $80bn over 10 years.
Watt told the ABC that even one detection of the live virus could shut down the industry.
“The reason this would be such a devastating blow is that the rest of the world would treat Australia as having foot-and-mouth disease, which would pretty much shut down our livestock export industry overnight,” he said.
The virus can be carried on shoes and clothes. The federal government has gradually increased biosecurity measures at the border, including disinfectant foot mats at airports, higher scrutiny on passenger declarations and of all passengers entering from Indonesia, and shoe cleaning.
Watt said people arriving from Indonesia should clean their shoes, or even consider leaving them behind.
The National Farmer’s Federation president, Tony Mahar, was among the agriculture leaders who called for a step-up of biosecurity controls, but said the government should not yet close the border, citing export consequences.
Foot-and-mouth: the livestock virus brewing at Australia’s borders
Read more > https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2022/jul/14/foot-and-mouth-the-livestock-virus-brewing-at-australias-borders
The shadow agriculture minister and Nationals leader, David Littleproud .. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/david-littleproud , who has accused the government of delay in responding to the crisis, did not repeat the calls from his colleagues to consider closing the border to Indonesia .
“We don’t believe that they should be taking this off the table yet but it should be predicated on science,” he said.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton .. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/peter-dutton , called on the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to take stronger action.
“Australians need to hear that the prime minister is in charge of what is a very significant threat to our livestock industry and to the broader economy,” he told 2GB radio.
The independent MP for the SA seat of Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie, added to calls for a temporary closure of the border to Indonesia.
“Following the detection of viral fragments of foot-and-mouth disease at Adelaide airport in recent days, the risk of this outbreak spreading to regional Australia is just too great,” she said.
The president of the Cattle Council of Australia, Lloyd Hick, said the federal biosecurity system was working but called for vigilance.
“CCA appreciates that the government has been constantly reassessing the safeguards it has in place,” he said. “The biosecurity response should match the threat. We will need more resources as the risks increase.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/21/labor-resists-calls-to-close-border-to-indonesia-after-foot-and-mouth-viral-fragments-detected-in-sa
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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