Sharman Stone MP

 

Dr Sharman Stone, Federal Member for Murray, said this was a huge disappointment given the years of public protest and industry concern that the imports could put the Australia apple and pear industries at great risk.

 

“Fire blight has the potential to wipe out the pear industry in particular in the Goulburn Valley, which produce more than 80 percent of Australia’s supply. Apples would also become a crop needing more chemicals if the disease took hold.

 

 “New Zealand has pushed for fresh apple import access, since Australia placed the ban in 1921, eventually taking the dispute to the World Trade Organisation. In August this year the World Trade Organisation ruled against Australia’s ban.

 

Sharman said she hoped that the Government had put the very best case forward to the World Trade Organisation in its appeal against lifting the ban.

 

 “The Labor Government has done little to back up and support Australia’s Quarantine and Biosecurity systems, with continual funding cuts, under resourcing, and a concerning lack of highly skilled scientists in the sector.

 

“These cuts leave Australia without the expertise to carry out proper risk assessments for imports into the country, and quite possibly meant Australia was unable to justify its case to the WTO.”

 

“The recent Kiwi-fruit bacterial canker scare in Italy and New Zealand, both countries which supply kiwifruit to Australia,has seen a totally inadequate response from Biosecurity Australia. They have only put a ban on Kiwi-fruit plant material not the fruit itself. This seems to be a return of the Fire Blight issue,” Sharman Stone said.

 

“The Government says it will now have Biosecurity Australia conduct a science based review of the import risk analysis for New Zealand apples before renegotiating the import protocols.”

 

“Minister Ludwig needs to ensure the Labor Government invests in the funds, resources and uses adequate skills to ensure Biosecurity Australia has the very best information at hand to guarantee Australia is protected. We can not afford to have a substandard system. We need the very best protocols in place.

 

“The Minister must also refuse entry of New Zealand Apples until the science based review is completed. We must then alert the public to make sure they only buy Aussie apples,” Sharman Stone said.