Agriculture minister Murray Watt will outline the Albanese government’s biosecurity strategy on Tuesday amid emerging threats to Australia.
Mr Watt says the national biosecurity strategy will provide clear direction to ensure Australia is prepared to meet growing challenges over the next decade and beyond.
Mr Watt is launching the strategy at the national press club in Canberra on Tuesday afternoon.
“The management of Australia’s biosecurity system is becoming increasingly complex, creating new challenges for governments, industry and community stakeholders in protecting our agricultural sector,” Minister Watt said in a statement.
Those challenges include emerging threats from foot and mouth disease, african swine fever, lumpy skin disease and Xylella.
The risk of the highly contagious livestock disease foot and mouth entering Australia in the next five years has been increased to 11.6% while the threat of lump skin disease spreading to Australia is even higher at 28%.
African swine fever presents a biosecurity threat to the global pork industry, while xylella is a bacteria that affects many plant species around the world. The department of agriculture has Xyella listed as number one on the national priority plant pest list. In California, its estimated to cause over $100 million in yearly losses to the grape industry.
The biosecurity strategy follows the announcement of a new taskforce last week to try and ensure Australia can respond quickly to the growing threats. It’s due to report back to the minister next month.
Mr Watt says the strategy is Australia’s first. It’s been in development for the past year, and was started under the previous coalition government.
“I’m really pleased that a new spirit of cooperation between Federal, State and Territory Agriculture Ministers has seen the strategy finalised and released so soon after the change of government.”
“Australia’s biosecurity system is a critical national asset and a shared responsibility, and this strategy is for all Australians,” Mr Watt says.
“It is critical all Australians play their part to safeguard our clean, green, world class biosecurity status.”
President of the farmers federation Fiona Simson says the strategy is an important framework to protect Australia from an increasingly complex risk environment.
“A coordinated, well-resourced, and innovative biosecurity system is fundamental to the success of our agricultural industries, and in supporting the goal of becoming a $100 billion sector by 2030,” Ms Simson says.
The head of the invasive species council Andrew Cox says it’s the first time Australia has a strategy setting a direction for a national biosecurity system.
“It is a strategy that will help us protect the many things we value as Australians. I encourage all Australians to find ways they can support it.”
“The spirit of collaboration that helped create this strategy will be a fundamental element of the modern biosecurity system that will help us withstand the growing challenges that we will all face this decade,” says Mr Cox.
