Fears of $80 billion economy hit if devastating disease reaches Australia
Tough new precautions and emergency funding have been launched to keep a disease that could devastate Australian agriculture away from our shores.
Agricultural Minister Murray Watt today touted the work of biosecurity officials to keep foot-and-mouth disease out of the country.
"They are doing everything they possibly can to keep this disease out of our country," he said.
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Agriculture Minister Murray Watt. Nine
"And it's something that we need the travelling public to really take on board as well."
The disease, which could wipe out the entire cattle industry if it came to Australia, is currently spreading in Bali.
"Pretty much as soon as the outbreak reached Bali, we imposed a number of new measures at Australian airports to protect our country from this outbreak coming back in," Watt said.
He described his own experience returning from Indonesia this morning.
"My shoes were taken away and cleaned, my bag was examined, detector dogs came and sniffed me and my luggage," he said.
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Foot-and-mouth disease has been detected among cattle in Indonesia. AP
"We are now risk-profiling 100 per cent of passengers that come into Australia from Indonesia."
The federal government also announced a $14 million package to help contain the spread of the disease in Indonesia.
The package will also address the spread of another cattle illness called lumpy skin disease, currently in Indonesia.
The $14 million package includes $5 million in immediate support to Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea.
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Foot and mouth disease is a contagious virus with severe consequences for animal health and trade Nine / Christopher Lorrimer
"We are standing side by side with those countries in their battle to contain this virus," Watt said.
The remaining $9 million in the package will go to more biosecurity officers in Australian airports and mail centres.
"The highest-risk way of foot-and-mouth disease coming back in our country is actually through animal products, meat products and dairy products, being brought in, whether by postage or freight or any other means," Watt said.
"It is important we ramp up our staffing at mail centres as well as at airports."
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Watt said the greatest chance of lumpy skin disease coming into Australia would be from infected mosquitoes blowing into the country from Indonesia.
Watt spoke grimly of the potential impact of a disease outbreak.
"If foot-and-mouth disease gets into our country, it will be a devastating blow for our agriculture industry, particularly our livestock industry," he said.
"There have been estimates in the order of an $80 billion hit to the national economy if this disease gets in our country.
"We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our farmers, and we owe it to all Australians to take this disease seriously."
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