31 May 2017
Queensland is facing an urgent and pressing need to build Biosecurity Queensland’s (BQ) capacity to respond to incursions. The white spot disease (WSD) outbreak, which has devastated South East Queensland’s $25 million prawn industry, on top of other recent failures including fire ants, Panama disease tropical race 4, myrtle rust and Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) have intensified the biosecurity imperative for our sector.
In May 2015, the Palaszczuk Government commissioned an independent review on the capability of the Queensland biosecurity system to meet the needs of future biosecurity challenges. An independent panel concluded that BQ had a record of success – due mainly to its passionate, committed and expert staff – but there was an urgent need to enhance capacity and capability of BQ and the biosecurity system.
The review also concluded that the increasing frequency of incursions requiring responses will likely to see BQ’s capacity soon exceeded, with potentially serious consequences. Targeted investment is required on people, frameworks and systems that better define arrangements for funding responses.
Some additional funding was committed and some recommendations from the review have been progressed, but clearly a lot more needs to be done. In the upcoming state budget, further funding must be allocated to increase diagnostic capacity, close biosecurity knowledge gaps and boost response capability. Biosecurity Industry Liaison Officer programs, which have improved industry biosecurity awareness and are informing more effective and efficient resource allocation, must also be continued.
The integrity of our biosecurity framework must remain at the highest priority for governments. With more than 60,000 kilometres of coastline to protect, QFF acknowledges that it is not an easy or inexpensive task. However, it should also be remembered that an investment in Australia and Queensland’s biosecurity system is an investment into protecting the quality of life of all Australians – not just agriculture.
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