{"id":145652,"date":"2016-05-19T21:58:50","date_gmt":"2016-05-19T11:58:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=145652"},"modified":"2020-07-27T11:56:28","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T01:56:28","slug":"mp-calls-for-vote-on-bjd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2016\/05\/19\/mp-calls-for-vote-on-bjd\/","title":{"rendered":"MP Calls For Vote On BJD"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shadow Agriculture Minister Dale Last (Photo: State Govt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 19, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shadow Agriculture Minister Dale Last says “lack of understanding” in the State Government looks set to leave thousands of Queensland beef and dairy farms at increased risk from Bovine Johne\u2019s Disease.<\/p>\n

Mr Last said Agriculture Minister Leanne Donaldson looked set to accept the report from “Canberra bureaucrats” pushing for an end to Queensland\u2019s protected zone status for BJD.<\/p>\n

He also accused “southern interests” keen to sell into Queensland when producers re-stock at the end of\u00a0 the drought of being behind the push to change Queensland’s status.<\/p>\n

Mr Last said before any decision was taken to scrap the protected zone, producers should vote on the proposal.<\/p>\n

At the moment, Queensland cattle producers enjoy a market advantage – particularly with live exports – because of the very low prevalence of the disease in Queensland herds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s totally unfair for bureaucrats in Canberra and Brisbane to be making any decisions like this which ultimately will be paid for by producers,” Mr Last said.<\/p>\n

“Queensland has worked hard over many years to maintain its protected zone status and now Minister Donaldson looks set to take the least line of resistance and fold to pressure from Canberra and southern vested interest groups.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole process led by Animal Health Australia and a handful of southern, self-appointed industry reps has been a sham.<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s been no broad consultation with producers and the Minster, at the very least, needs to be honest on this point.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe so-called national review of BJD management by Animal Health Australia has been nothing more than a Canberra desk job and I call on the Minister to show where Queensland producers have overwhelmingly called for change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Last also questioned the timing of the move given nearly 85 per cent of Queensland remained in the grip of drought.<\/p>\n

\u201cVast areas of the State have been de-stocked and the last thing on anyone\u2019s mind is BJD,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe real danger is once drought-breaking rains come, there\u2019ll naturally be a rush to re-stock with a likely influx of cattle from southern areas where BJD is prevalent and disease status of cattle will rest with some form of paperwork\/electronic declarations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout proper testing protocols and clearance, all I can say is good luck because nothing on how this will really work has come out of the Department, let alone the Minister\u2019s office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Last said the Queensland Dairyfarmers\u2019 Organisation was rightfully very concerned, with QDO president Brian Tessmann highly critical of AHA.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Minister and the (Queensland) Department of Agriculture should be focussed on the 19,000 beef and dairy producers in Queensland whose properties and herds are currently BJD-free because there is absolutely no guarantee, least of all from the management at AHA, that they\u2019ll remain so under Labor\u2019s open slather plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

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