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Call for quarantine overhaul
23 Jun 2004
Australia's quarantine regulations should be overhauled to discover the real risk of importing foods, Labor agriculture spokesman Gavan O'Connor has told the National Farmers' Federation. Mr O'Connor said recent decisions on imports were driven by a desire to avoid WTO scrutiny rather than protect Australia from disease risks. He also said the rush for bilateral trade agreements has created an extra level of bureaucracy in quarantine decision-making which is working against the interests of Australian farmers.
Australia's quarantine system has been undermined and opened the country to possible disease and pest incursions, according to Mr O'Connor. Import risk analyses should include quantitative assessments rather than simple qualitative assessments; these provide an overall picture of the chances a certain import will bring with it a disease or pest.
News.com.au, 22/6/04.
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