Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

There are good reasons why Australia has an outstanding reputation of being the cleanest and greenest food bowl in the world. Australia's superpower status as a food producer continues to be a cornerstone of the national economy and promises much more in the future. When it comes to quality produce Australia is simply second to none, because of our impeccable standards upheld by the tireless dedication of our farmers and other land managers.

According to the Global Food Forum, Australia already feeds 50 million people every year—way beyond our own needs. Some forecasts say that we can quadruple our primary exports to feed a staggering 200 million people. The forum was told that within 10 years Australia could have 20 times more arable land per capita than China, Indonesia and India and 60 times more than Japan's available space for agricultural production. There are three billion people in Asia, a huge market ready to anticipate a massive boost in the export of valuable commodities from our great and bountiful country. But with our potential, for delivering vast quantities, will come the quality.

The coalition is committed to ensuring every level of government supports the hardworking men and women of Australia's farm and rural industries. The latest estimate of Australia's total farm production sits at $62.2 billion, up 28 per cent since we came to office. Despite all the challenges of what can be a punishing environment, there are very strong prospects for dynamic growth. The value of agricultural exports is estimated at $49 billion, up almost 27 per cent on our watch. Much of the credit for this stunning growth can be attributed to Australia's world-class biosecurity framework. This ensures our agricultural industry, local communities and natural environment are protected from pests and disease.

The Agriculture Legislation Amendment (Streamlining Administration) Bill 2019 will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our biosecurity system by authorising automated decision-making for biosecurity officers under the Biosecurity Act and the Imported Food Control Act. This bill will support deregulation and improve the effectiveness of the biosecurity framework and the imported food system. There is an urgent need for this bill. We need to maximise the use of current technologies to effectively and efficiently enforce biosecurity controls over vast cargo volumes with a potential to increase risk to Australia. These incursions would have a devastating impact on Australia. It doesn't bear thinking about.

Every month, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment processes an average of 45,000 commercial cargo referrals. The need for innovation in identifying efficiencies is critical to the effective operation of Australia's biosecurity framework. This bill is particularly timely as we deal with the peak season for one of Australia's high-risk pests, the brown marmorated stink bug. Intensive resources are also being devoted to stopping African swine fever virus and other high-risk pests and disease, including the khapra beetle, from entering Australia's borders. There is an ongoing threat posed by foot-and-mouth disease. The amount of work needed to prevent biosecurity incursions of these high-risk pests and diseases has increased rapidly in recent months and continues to require considerable amounts of manual effort.

Automated decision-making promises to reduce the operational burden in high-risk times and allow the department to concentrate on other priority areas. In supporting the implementation of computerised decisions, this bill will provide appropriate safeguards as the department streamlines services and reduces decision times on biosecurity matters while minimising costs and freeing up resources. The risk of not providing Australia's biosecurity framework with all possible tools is just far too grave. We need to prevent the entry of such pests and diseases to avoid irreparable damage to Australia's impressive record of world's best practice in biosecurity. There will, of course, be careful consideration of what decisions will be suitable for automation, in line with administrative law requirements. Ordinarily, they will be decisions where particular facts are confirmed, without the need for any subjective assessments.

We all know that biosecurity has played and will continue to play a leading role in reducing risk and enhancing our chances of remaining free of the world's most severe pests and diseases. It's true enough that our geographical isolation comes into play in maintaining this status, but we can't be complacent in any way. As we've seen with the recent coronavirus, borders are becoming incidental, as record numbers of people travel from country to country. It's confronting enough to know that more than 60,000 kilometres of coastline offers many varied unguarded gateways for exotic pests and diseases, but the Morrison government is doing all it can to reduce the risk of incursions, and it will be controlled.

Every year, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment screens, inspects and clears millions of people, mail parcels, baggage, ships, animals, plants and cargo using x-ray machines, surveillance and detector dogs. According to the department, the prevention efforts use a range of sophisticated technologies and approaches, including research, shared international resources and intelligence. Surveillance and monitoring of risk areas are the highest priorities, along with border-control activities focusing on assessing and managing potential biosecurity threats at Australia's airports, seaports and international mail centres. On our farms, biosecurity practices also include disinfecting; signage; maintaining boundary fences; checking for strays; restricting visitor and vehicle movements; ensuring all machinery brought onto the property is cleaned; good husbandry; ensuring purchases are from reliable sources; regular inspections of flocks and herds; and quarantining new stock. In recent years, changes to biosecurity have focused on the consequences of some pests and diseases, increased emergency powers for swift responses to biosecurity threats, and nationwide consistency in emergency situations.

If Australian agriculture is to become a $100 billion industry by 2030, premium produce will be central to that ambition, and maintaining our impeccable clean and green reputation is essential. We've worked hard to earn the trust of countries buying our produce, and biosecurity has played a huge role in consolidating that belief and our reliability and consistency. These standards and the determination of our primary producers to uphold them are central to the Morrison government's policy of underpinning the integrity of Australia's agricultural industries. Indeed, our nation's history and evolution as an economic force are inextricably linked to the quality of our primary production, and that's a proud past we are determined to honour and respect.