September 2019

Surra, Screw Worm Fly, Foot and Mouth, Varroa Mites, Africanised Honey Bee, Wheat Blast, African Swine Fever, TTTTF Stem Rust: the list goes on. There are hundreds of pests and diseases around the world that are a threat to Australia’s $65 billion agricultural industry. In recent years we have seen that an outbreak of fire ants in Queensland which has burnt though tens of millions taxpayers funds will likely cost $380m to eradicate. In the

Most people in Western Australia will not have heard of the Liberal Democrats, but there is such a party and they do have one member of State Parliament Aaron Stonehouse MLC who holds a seat in the South Metropolitan Region of Western Australia. According to their web site the Liberal Democrats have a vision of a state and country in which small government and minimal regulation combine to ensure and enhance our personal freedoms. It

Minister McTiernan has rightly pointed out that I am free with my advice on what the government should be doing to improve outcomes in the regions. But this time I’m not going to direct my advice to her or the Labor party, as I don’t believe that there is any chance that a political party so dependent on Green preferences will even begin to consider what I am about to propose even though the environmental

The state’s pastoral leaseholders will be at the front line if we get a Foot and Mouth outbreak in northern Australia. If this disease gets imported into the Kimberley from an illegal landing or – god forbid – some mad biological terrorist, then we are looking at a massive destocking and feral animal eradication campaign that will make the 27-year long brucellosis eradication program look like a walk in the park. To put this in