Western Australia Minister for Agriculture and Food Terry Redman

Industry biosecurity Committees Appointed

Victor P Taffa

Western Australia Minister for Agriculture and Food Terry Redman today announced the members of new committees to oversee the management of the State’s new biosecurity Industry Funding Schemes.

The committees will utilise new funding arrangements authorised under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 to fight biosecurity threats.

Mr. Redman said the Industry Funding Schemes would enable agricultural industries to raise funds from within their sector, to cover the cost of responding to serious pest and disease threats.

The three new management committees will determine which pest and disease threats require action, how best to deal with the threats, and what contributions will be needed from industry to tackle the problem.

“The recent State Budget allocated $37 Million to biosecurity for the coming financial year.” the Minister said.

“The State Government believes the best way to protect our agriculture industries and environment from plant and animal pests is by preventing them from entering the State.”

“This means maintaining monitoring and surveillance as well as vigilance at ports, airports, mail exchange and roads into Western Australia.” Mr. Redman said.

“Where the management of pests and diseases mainly benefits an agricultural industry, the Government believes it fair for the industry to contribute significantly to the costs and the Industry Funding Schemes will enable this to occur.”

The management committees were selected following an open call for nominations and recommendations to Mr Redman from an appointments’ committee led by Terry Enright, and including Rob Gillam, Mike Norton, Wally Cox and Trevor Fisher. The Minister accepted all of its recommendations.

The management committees will be meeting in the coming weeks to make recommendations to Mr. Redman on the priority pests and diseases, on-ground programs and the level of producer contributions required for the costs of these programs.

The following have been appointed three-year terms:

Grains/Seeds/Hay

• David Auld
• Tim Cattle
• Brian Young
• Barry Large
• David Leake
• Peter Thompson
• Chris Gillam

Cattle

• Jim Motter
• David Jarvie
• Ruth Webb-Smith
• Michael Campbell
• Geoff McLarty
• John Guimelli

Sheep and Goats

• Peter Batten
• David Jarvie
• Will Scott
• Jeff Murray
• David Slade
• Max Watts
• Neil Jackson

Regulations enabling the new Industry Funding Scheme for grains, cattle and sheep/goats, are now available at the State Law Publisher website http://www.slp.wa.gov.au (under Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007).