The Tasmanian Government is doing everything we can to protect our State from Foot and Mouth Disease, including implementing additional protections at the border and undertaking an extensive communications campaign to increase traveller awareness.
We are working hard to keep Tasmania safe, and are further enhancing our biosecurity arrangements with the roll-out of upgraded X-ray technology at the State’s mail processing centres and a new pilot program to install foot sanitation mats at air and sea ports as soon as possible for travellers coming from Indonesia.
Three industry-leading X-ray machines have been ordered and will be installed in Australia Post’s mail sorting and distribution centres at St Leonards, Mornington and Derwent Park, further bolstering our border efforts to maintain Tasmania’s pest and disease-free status.
The new scanners will provide improved package penetration, image quality and biosecurity risk detection capabilities, helping to further protect Tasmanian industry from emerging biosecurity threats such as Foot and Mouth Disease, as well as Lumpy Skin Disease and fruit fly. Screening of international post at Tasmanian mail centres is in addition to the surveillance processes undertaken by the Commonwealth, where x-ray technology and detector dogs are also used.
In addition, the Tasmanian Government has also committed to installing foot sanitation mats at all regional air and sea ports, to complement those sanitation mats being delivered by the Australian Government at the Hobart International Airport.
The Tasmanian Government is also working closely with industry, with $350,000 recently announced for the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association to continue enhancing biosecurity engagement and promote good on-farm biosecurity practices.
The Tasmanian Government has provided an additional $11,500 to the TFGA for the printing and distribution of 800 farm biosecurity signs. Farmers can get these signs for free from the TFGA on (03) 6332 1800.
A new series of industry workshops are also being developed. The Department of Natural Resource and Environment Tasmania is working closely with Dairy Tasmania and the TFGA to deliver a new series of Foot and Mouth Disease producer workshops around the state in August. This will provide further information about Foot and Mouth Disease and actions people can take.
Tasmania’s biosecurity system is strong and ready to protect our environment and world-class agricultural and tourism industries, but we must all play our part.
It is important that you remind interstate and overseas family and friends that there are certain things that cannot be sent to, or imported into, Tasmania, for more information go to www.nre.tas.gov.au/travellersguid
More Media Releases from Jo Palmer
More Media Releases from the Minister for Primary Industries and Water