Ministers heed call to boost FMD response

SURF Coast Shire Council and local Opposition MPs have called for increased measures to prevent an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, which they say would devastate the region’s rural communities.

Meanwhile, government authorities are ramping up their disease response at federal and state levels, with increased biosecurity screening at airports and a Victorian taskforce among recent initiatives to curb the threat.

Winchelsea Ward councillor Adrian Schonfelder moved a motion at last month’s council meeting for the shire to acknowledge concerns of local farmers and lobby federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt for stronger protection against the disease.

“If FMD reaches Australia, it will have catastrophic consequences for our livestock industry,” Cr Schonfelder said.

“The flow on-on impacts in the Surf Coast community would be dire.”

Polworth MP Richard Riordan introduced a motion to State Parliament last week that called on a 120-day travel ban on Indonesia and for the Commonwealth to increase its support to the island nation.

Mr Riordan’s motion followed a rally at Colac a week earlier that attracted more than a hundred farmers from the district, including from near Wincheslea.

“It’s in everyone’s interest to act,” Mr Riordan said. “We don’t want to wait for a crisis to happen before we do something.”

Shadow Agriculture Minister Dan Tehan, whose Wannon electorate covers part of the Surf Coast hinterland, also called on Senator Watt to boost the national response on the return of Federal Parliament during the past fortnight.

Senator Watt last week confirmed foot sanitization mats had been rolled out at all international airports for passengers from Indonesia and had beefed up powers of biosecurity officers to screen incoming travellers and goods.

“While the risk of foot and mouth disease or lumpy skin disease entering Australia is low, it is not zero. And we cannot assume that it will stay that way. We need to be fully prepared,” the minister said.

Victoria Agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney said the state was preparing for a potential outbreak through a taskforce with input from its chief vet, agriculture authority and emergency services.

“Risk assessment and preparedness is key in ensuring we’re best placed to respond if there is a positive detection in livestock in Victoria – and we’re doing the work now to protect our industry,” the Western Victoria MP said.

Australia is yet to detect a live case of the disease.

Foot and mouth disease affects animals with divided hooves, including cattle, sheep, pigs and deer, and would cause mass euthanasia of infected livestock in the event of an outbreak.

Australian government researchers have predicted an economic hit of up to $80 billion if the disease reaches our shores.