Funding boost for biosecurity battle

PRIMARY Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff has vowed Tasmania will regain its fruit fly-free status, promising more funding for biosecurity measures.

Those measures will take in Flinders Island, where the pest’s recent intrusion in Tasmania was first discovered.

Fruit fly experts from Biosecurity South Australia are in Tasmania to help direct the eradication process and sterile flies, developed in Port Augusta, could be used in the blitz.

Mr Rockliff says $480,000 would be spent over four years if the Liberal Government is re-elected, to boost biosecurity on Flinders and King Islands.

Fruit fly was discovered at two sites on Flinders Island on January 18 and a live fly has been trapped at Spreyton, where a 15km exclusion zone has been established and baiting is taking place.

“An additional biosecurity officer on each island will support landholders to tackle weeds, pests and other issues affecting agricultural production,” the Liberals’ policy announced yesterday says.

It is understood there is no biosecurity officer permanently based at Flinders Island airport to do quarantine operations. The Tasmanian Greens said the Liberals’ biosecurity policy was a “terrible joke made at the expense of Tasmania’s farmers and growers”.

“First they cut biosecurity funds, then refused to adequately resource it — the state is no longer fruit-fly free and our exporters face uncertain overseas markets — and now they want Tasmanians to believe they have a plan to repair the damage they caused,” Andrea Dawkins said.

“The Liberals’ plan to spend an extra $480,000 over four years for two biosecurity officers on King Island and Flinders Island does not stack up. This amounts to $120,000 per year, at $60,000 each officer.”

Mr Rockliff said fruit detector dogs were working at Tasmania’s ports to ensure infected fruit did not come into Tasmania via cruise ships.

“We are absolutely going to destroy these buggers and we shall regain our fruit fly status,” Mr Rockliff said yesterday.

Another $2 million has been promised to build a network of truck washdown stations to improve biosecurity and farm hygiene with Smithton, Devonport, Oatlands, Scotsdale and Huonville identified as potential locations.

Tasmania’s seven Biosecurity Acts would also be rolled into one new Biosecurity Bill to better manage future risks.