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Disease test scam investigated
19 Apr 2004
Victorian and Tasmanian government officials are investigating possible breaches of the Victorian Diseases Control Act: beef females may have been shipped into Victoria without appropriate documentation stating they were free of bovine Johne's disease. The investigation was sparked by claims that mainland buyers had deliberately bought and mixed BJD-tested and cleared heifers with animals that had not been tested at recent Tasmanian beef weaner sales, then shipped them to Victoria.
Victoria's chief veterinary officer Hugh Millar said the state operates fairly openly with few regulatory trading restrictions on buyers. Adherence to these regulations is mainly based on trust rather than heavy policing by the department, he said. If someone has deliberately disregarded the regulations it would reflect badly on everyone. If the allegations are proven then any perpetrators will be liable for prosecution.
Dr Millar said taking a step back to more rigid BJD-trading conditions is not the direction the industry or authorities want to make.
Stock & Land, 15/4/04.
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