Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:39): I rise to support this motion by the member for Chaffey:

That this house—

(a) notes the imperative importance of world-leading biosecurity measures for food and fibre security in South Australia with trade and exports;

(b) recognises that a whole-of-sector and state approach to biosecurity is crucial to the health and safety of our natural landscape and primary production; and

(c) acknowledges that South Australia’s $18.5 billion agriculture, horticulture, fishing and forestry industries are best served by the management and eradication of invasive species.

We do spend a lot of money in this state on biosecurity, and we should, to make sure that we can keep our production clean and green, and keep out the invasive species because we see the destruction of what happens when we do have incursions.

I look at the tomato virus issue, which is affecting many hundreds of jobs and affecting much income for producers, in facilities producing tomatoes, and I know that there is some progress now in fast-tracking the testing of the virus. Some of that can now be done here in South Australia, which is helpful, but it has taken a big turnaround in getting those results back when they were getting tested before. With the tomato virus issue it just shows that you need to respond quickly to get on top of it. It affects not only local sales but certainly those sales into other states around Australia.

We certainly have an issue with varroa mite, which is edging ever closer to South Australia; it is not that far away in Victoria. Our bees do a marvellous job in making sure that we have production, not just in dryland agriculture but in almond crops and other permanent plantations to make sure that we get the production with pollination and that kind of thing, and obviously even though the crops are very well down in the dryland areas, bees are crucial for that pollination of canola crops, bean crops and other crops.

I think I have mentioned here before about the damage that has happened to our crops, and I know there is a lot of canola that is being cut for hay, just to do something with the plant. Obviously, you have a fairly woody plant, and you either cut it for hay if you do not think it is going yield much, or you have to harvest the little bit that you think it might produce, notwithstanding the frost damage and the damage from the drought and dry conditions. That is having a significant impact on our farmers, who have to work under strict guidelines.

We see different things happening with production, where farms are inspected for the use of chemicals and other practices in regard to how they manage their cropping because, as has been mentioned, people overseas take notice of where our produce goes, where it is grown, and it is true paddock to plate. People like getting on their device and going 'click', and they can work out sometimes—if the full paddock to plate concept is taken on—where that beef was grown and where it was processed, and the full line-up of transport issues and whatever to get that onto the plate, into the restaurant or onto the supermarket shelves.

Our producers are always on the ball doing what they can to get things right, and I know it has been mentioned by the member for Chaffey about the fruit fly incursions in the Riverland. Certainly, we have had this in Hammond as well where we used to have not so much an incursion but we have been checking on the risk of fruit fly because we used to be a very major producer, especially of stone fruits, apricots, oranges and other fruits at Mypolonga. There is barely anything grown there anymore but we are certainly part of the program to making sure that we keep this state safe so that we can export our produce appropriately and still have that ability to export produce.

I note there has been tens and tens of millions of dollars spent in the Riverland. That has had to be done to make sure that we get the right outcomes because there can be issues with backyard trees or commercial operations and we just need to keep up the fight. We just cannot walk away and be like other states and say, 'Fruit fly is endemic.' I notice the sterile insect scheme, which has had a bipartisan approach, and that does great work in combating the threat of fruit fly. But we must keep up the flight—not the flight, the fight.

Talking about flight, we must keep up the fight against avian flu as well. We have seen what can happen interstate, with over two million chickens having to be euthanised. We started to see rationing of eggs and obviously the price of eggs go up. But the industry has reacted pretty well and I have not seen the shelves cleaned out completely. That has been extremely good for customers that at least you can purchase eggs. That is one that is very tough to beat because of, obviously, incursions of wild birds, and it is happening around the world where there are real issues with that, so you cannot take your foot off the pedal.

Another one is foot-and-mouth disease. It is not that far from us, to the north of our country. I am certainly well aware, when there was heightened risk only a couple of years ago in 2022 and we were concerned about the risk of that coming in from Indonesia. I actually did go to Bali for a few days that year, so it was front of mind, certainly as a politician.

Mr Whetstone: Bali belly.

Mr PEDERICK: No, I did not get Bali belly, but it was certainly front of mind. It was a good education on seeing how well—and they did do a great job—the Indonesians addressed the situation, the signage at the airport and other signage around the place that stressed that this is a major issue. It was in your face, and they inspected our bags before leaving the country. Certainly, I saw the issue of the mats firsthand, the mats that were there to assist in the program at Adelaide Airport. We were questioned on our way back, but I made sure that the team I was with on that trip were there literally cleaning the soles of boots and shoes, anything we had worn, with water and a toothbrush and some antiseptic to make sure that we did not bring anything home.

We must just be vigilant and keep up the vigilance because we have primary industries that are suffering this year because of the dry. We have property identification codes to assist people in identifying where stock come from. Now we have the introduction of the electronic eartags, which is extremely expensive as far as sheep are concerned. I think about $3 a head is the price touted for those eartags. Some people have suggested that perhaps there could be relief from that price if the government take up the bill while we hopefully ease out of this drought situation at the minute.

Industry does take this very seriously and certainly at our borders. I used to have a border at Pinnaroo in my electorate and certainly know what goes on there with the border controls with fruit fly. Having imported farm machinery from Western Australia, I am well aware of the clean-up requirements for getting especially harvesters through the border crossing into South Australia. It is something we can never rest from. We must be vigilant and make sure that this state can still grow its clean and green food and fibre to profit into the future.