Growers to pay for biological threat control

Mike Norton

WA farmers face one of the State's biggest biosecurity shake-ups.

A range of measures will require them to foot the bill for the programs they want.

New biosecurity funding schemes, which will be in place by July, will replace all existing pest and disease management programs.

Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) director Rob Delane said the schemes would help industry react faster to biological threats.

"The State Government has asked the department to work with industry representatives to put in place funding mechanisms that would enable industry to pay where it wants response to a pest or disease incursion," Mr Delane said.

DAFWA executive Tony Richman said WA's grains and grazing sectors were not adequately covered by the existing measures.

"We are about providing the mechanisms, but industry can decide when and how to use them," Mr Richman said.

Under the new schemes, charges are mandatory in the first instance, but growers will be able to "opt out" at any time thereafter and receive a full refund if they decide the scheme does not benefit them.

"This is completely different from any previous schemes," Mr Richman said.

"The existing skeleton weed levy would be fully replaced, the existing transaction charge on the sale of WA cattle would be replaced and a new charge would be imposed on the first sale of hay in WA.

"The original legislation has proved to be rigid. The new schemes will give growers a form of insurance against pests and diseases.

"If they choose not to take part, they are still liable to control pests, and if they opt out, they still have the responsibility to act but will not have any assistance."

Three new schemes will initially be introduced for pests and diseases of grains, seeds and hay, cattle, sheep and goats.

Each scheme will be managed by an industry management committee of five to seven people appointed by Agriculture Minister Terry Redman.

Mr Richman said other States had implemented similar schemes and very few growers had chosen not to participate.

"All costs would be justified and industry could decide whether they needed to pay it or not," he said.

The scheme's working group chairman, Chris Richardson, said if it was agreed the cropping scheme be extended to include hay producers, any requirement to pay contributions would constitute a new charge on the hay sector.

Cattle producers, who have traditionally paid into the Cattle Industry Compensation Fund, will instead make contributions to the new scheme and sheep and goat producers will be faced with a new fee.

A series of briefings and workshops will be held across the State between February and April to help the State's farming sector adjust.

WAFarmers president Mike Norton said while the farm lobby group had been involved in discussions about the schemes, many important concerns had been overlooked.

"WAFarmers appreciates the importance of essential biosecurity activities, however, the proposed regulations do not necessarily improve the biosecurity response. Rather, they simply provide a mechanism to raise funds," he said.

"The scheme's implementation prior to the request for feedback leaves very little room for the scheme to be amended to address the concerns and issues raised by farmers.

"All WAFarmers members and non-members are encouraged to attend these meetings to hear further details about the proposed scheme and the concerns."

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