Page 1379 - Week 04 - Thursday, 26 March 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
However, as members would appreciate, a very important aspect of controlling the spread of animal disease is to require a person to prevent possible contamination or infection. I am sure you will see the sense in providing for a clear source of power for such an important direction in order to minimise the risk of the spread of an exotic or endemic disease. An example of a possible direction to prevent a disease spreading might be to require a farmer to move their animals away from the farm’s boundaries or to temporarily keep their animals stabled.
The bill makes clear that directions can now be given to people to not only decontaminate their premises, products or things in relation to exotic or endemic disease but also to prevent them from contaminating or infecting anything else. Currently, the act contains a power to declare a quarantine area and, through that declaration, to impose restrictions on movements in the quarantine area.
The bill clarifies that the making of movement restrictions in a quarantine area can also include the authorisation of the movements or activities to occur within the quarantined area. It was recognised during the equine influenza outbreak that a complete lockdown would not always be required under the emergency animal disease response agreement and various disease response plans under that agreement.
The bill also provides further clarity concerning the searching of vehicles. As vehicles are the main means by which infected animals or contaminated things may be brought into a quarantine area, the ability to enter a vehicle on a public road at any time to detect infected animals or contaminated things is vital for ensuring diseases and contamination and infection cannot occur. This is particularly important for larger vehicles such as semitrailers and horse floats.
The outbreak of equine influenza in 2007 also highlighted the need to exchange information on the movement of animals across state borders about the owners of possibly infected animals. As members would be aware, the use and dissemination of personal information is regulated by the commonwealth Privacy Act. This information exchange may involve the passing of personal information concerning owners of animals or other people involved in moving animals. The bill provides clear legislative authority for this information to be shared with interstate agencies involved with fighting the disease outbreak elsewhere in Australia.
The Animal Diseases Act provides for the making of regulations to require declarations from sellers of animals and animal products. These declarations deal with the health of the animals or about any chemicals or biological products used on the animals. It is proposed that the act be amended to encompass that broader range of vendor declarations that can be made under regulations.
This clarification recognises that animal diseases and their prevention may be caused not only by the use of chemicals or biological products but also by the adoption or non-adoption of farming practices. This includes potential genetic modification or other practices involved in breeding. It could also include declarations concerning organic or green farming methods. I consider this finetuning necessary in order to accommodate forecast changes within interstate and international developments.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .