The Berejiklian government has released the regulations governing the Biosecurity Act 2015. It’s another step toward a new approach to biosecurity in New South Wales.
In our January 2017 submission supporting the draft regulations, NSW Farmers called for “a robust education, compliance and enforcement campaign” alongside implementation of the new legislation.
We recommended “the development of advisory tools, investment in extension services and adequate resourcing of compliance activities”.
Farmers are not the only people with a stake in the revised biosecurity legislation. While biosecurity is essential to farmers, to produce the food and fibre upon which we all rely, it’s not a given and can’t be taken for granted.
Nor does, or should, all of the responsibility rest with farmers, as recognised through the new “general biosecurity duty” and “tenure neutral” approaches enshrined in the Act.
Many farmers already have biosecurity plans in place.
It is, however, unwitting visitors who can pose the greatest threat to on-farm biosecurity.
For many city slickers, the sight of a bright yellow canola field against a blue sky is too great a photo opportunity to pass up.
But how many of them ensure their shoes are clean before they walk through the paddock? How many other paddocks have they walked through? And where else have they been? Do they know what the farmers’ biosecurity plan means?
Consider oyster farmers scrubbing and disinfecting their launch when moving it from waterway to waterway, while recreational boaters dip their oars (and outboard motors) anywhere?
Biosecurity matters.
But without a properly resourced communications strategy, the new regime in NSW may change nothing. NSW Farmers will work to ensure all stakeholders know their duty, and the biosecurity burden does not fall disproportionately on farmers’ shoulders.
- Derek Schoen, NSW Farmers’ president
