Wide support in swine response

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud is confident a Federal Government $66.6-million African Swine Fever response package has helped shore up Australia’s biosecurity defence system.

Mr Littleproud said a 2019 package put more biosecurity officers and detector dogs on the ground and enhanced measures in the battle to keep the disease out of Australia.

He said if ASF was to reach Australian shores and spread throughout the states and regions, including Victoria and the Wimmera, it would have a significant impact on pig health and production. It would also have a wider economic impact through loss of access to overseas markets for Australian pork products.

“With its rapid spread through Asia, and new variants being discovered, the disease is threatening the livelihoods of millions of people globally who rely on the pork industry,” Mr Littleproud said.

“Since 2019, we have successfully strengthened Australia’s border control measures and increased targeted operations to detect non-compliance.

“We have also raised awareness of our biosecurity requirements to those travelling or mailing goods to Australia and reinforced our national preparedness.”

Mr Littleproud said a $400-million investment in biosecurity in the 2021-22 budget continued a commitment to help protect Australia from the ongoing and evolving threat of ASF and other significant threats.

“Feral pigs are a major environmental and agricultural pest and would be an impediment to eradication of ASF if it were to arrive in Australia. As a result, the Australian government is supporting a range of feral-pig control measures,” he said.

“Appointment of a national feral-pig management co-ordinator and development of a national feral pig action plan is facilitating nationally coordinated management and control of feral pigs.

“In a recent thermal assisted aerial control trial, thermal cameras detected 99 percent of the 126 feral pigs killed, compared with one percent visible to the human eye.”

Mr Littleproud said through a Communities Combating Pest and Weed Impacts During Drought Program, the government had provided more than $2.6-million to eight eligible drought-affected Local Government Areas in Queensland and New South Wales for on-ground management of feral pigs, among other priority pest animals and weeds.

“Building on this work, our commitments in the 2021-22 budget will continue our efforts to reduce the economic and environmental burden of established feral animals and weeds,” he said.

“We remain committed to keeping ASF out of Australia and protecting local pork industries and international exports, while supporting land managers to better manage the impacts of feral pigs.”