The CEO of one of Australia’s largest cattle producers, John McKillop, has called for the government to rapidly build upon existing biosecurity measures and focus more to ensure Foot & Mouth Disease does not enter Australia, rather than plan for when this cruel disease arrives and stock then have to be shot, and recommended that overseas travellers to countries with FMD bear the cost of the necessary inspections and foot baths.

Gina Rinehart confirmed: “The threat of foot and mouth disease and other Cruel diseases, continue as a potentially devastating reality for our stock, that we must more actively protect our agricultural industry against. This protection must be real and certainly not less than what other countries are already providing. I am hearing from those who have travelled recently, the concerning reports that New Zealand is providing more thorough inspections and practical measures to stop the disease entering their country than we are. The time to act to stop this risk at our international airports and ports is now, rather than let disease enter our country to devastate our stock, farming families and the many businesses our agricultural industry supports around Australia, and then have to have far more disease controls at domestic airports and borders and even more extensively. Our industry is integral to our country, our focus should increase to protecting now, rather than plans for when our procedures fail and this awful disease enters Australia.”

John McKillop, added: “The great risk of incursion of disease from the undeclared or illegal importation of food means that our quarantine and inspection services need to be adequately resourced and supported to operate effectively. Without further burdening taxpayers, or stopping people from choosing to holiday or travel to countries that have FMD, the fairest way seems to be to make those who chose to travel to those countries pay a fee to cover the price that must be paid to protect our industry. I join with Mrs Rinehart’s call, we should be acting now to protect our essential industry. We should not want to compromise it.”