Federal Rounds
24-October-2011
Written by: John Cobb MP -
New Zealand visit reveals apple concerns justified
The past months have been particularly testing for Australia’s apple and pear growers since the Gillard Labor Government announced that New Zealand apples would be allowed into our country. Last week I visited New Zealand with three of my Coalition colleagues to inspect a number of orchards and packing houses to ascertain the risks of fire blight to Australia. Prior to visiting New Zealand it was revealed that three out of 13 consignments bound for Australia had been rejected due to the presence of leaf matter and apple leaf curling midge. With this damning rejection rate in mind, the concerns that fire blight will end up in Australia are warranted. The visit allowed me to see first hand the extent of the disease and realise that much more needs to be done by Biosecurity Australia to assure our industry that the disease does not reach our shores.
I was impressed by the New Zealand apple industry; they were very upfront about their practices for managing pests and diseases as well as their export operations. What I was extremely annoyed by was Biosecurity Australia’s attitude during the visit. Although we did not request their presence, Biosecurity Australia consistently defended their position, instead of allowing New Zealand to explain it. It would have been of great help to have our own independent expert, yet unfortunately we were not permitted to take one.
Local orchardists are all too aware that should the disease fire blight reach Australia, the repercussions for apple growing regions, such as Orange, would be disastrous. The pear industry in particular would most likely be wiped out. In New Zealand orchardists are very reluctant to grow pears because of the high prevalence of fire blight. Australia’s virtual disease free status is our nation’s farmers’ greatest selling asset. Given the consignment rejection rates I am not entirely convinced that our quarantine arrangements are adequate enough. Next week I, along with my Coalition colleagues who visited New Zealand, will report our findings to a Senate Committee inquiry into biosecurity. It is hoped our findings and industry concerns will kick the Government into gear and make them understand how serious the issue of fire blight really is.
Celebrating Calare’s food and wine
The Calare electorate is home to some of the nation’s finest produce and the development of solid marketing campaigns to promote our wares is vital to the prosperity of our region. Educating and creating awareness of where our food comes from is also a vital part of the campaigns. With a majority of the population residing in our cities, it is alarming to hear that so many have no conception of where the food they eat comes from. Understanding the processes involved in getting the produce from the farm to the supermarket is important in gaining support for our industries and what we do.
Playing a large role in increasing this understanding are events such as Orange Wine Week which is well underway, with the public wine tasting held last Friday night and a swag of events on offer until Sunday. Orange Wine Week is one of the region’s big annual events which celebrates our fantastic wine and food, it is a great tourist drawcard with visitors coming from all over the state. It is also pleasing to hear that Bathurst is in the process of developing a marketing campaign to boost awareness of its local food and wine industries. There is great potential for Bathurst to promote its produce to the extent Orange does and together further our region’s reputation for quality wares. I am excited about what these campaigns can bring to the electorate and look forward to getting involved in future events.