Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 1:37:14 to 1:46:33
The transition of the Varroa mite response to management and the status of national bee pest surveillance programs are reviewed. Senators question the lack of movement controls and the funding for ongoing research into bee health.
Topics: Biosecurity, Agricultural research and levies, Government spending
Speakers: Hon Matthew Canavan, Justine Saunders, Dr Susan Collins, Unknown Speaker, Allison Jones
>> Okay. All right. Thank you. I wanted to turn to a couple of extra topics. Actually, I might do Well, I've got rabbits and veroamite. So, who are those officials different or if they're different from you, Dr. Phenom or doesn't matter what order, but let's go with rabbits uh first. Um uh last estimates, um we had some information that uh the national rabbit fire control project will cost about 4 million to 2025 29. on notice uh the uh government has come back and said that 2.6 million is is coming from the Australian government. However, that does include one and a half million from Meat and Livestock Australia by my reading. Um how much and that's obviously from MLA that's partly at least from producer levies. How much is actually of that funding being contributed by uh the Australian government not funded by producer levies
or industry? So the $4 million has been the hat's gone round and it's being collected now. Contributions include 2.6 million from Australian government and project partners. Don't know if I've got a breakdown of that. I might need to take that notice if you need further detail on that, Senator, but as you indicated 500,000 um came from us. I think you indicated that in 2526 to commence the project where we committed that um actually and I do have the breakdown. the 600 from CSRO and 1.5 million from Meat and Livestock Australia. So that's the 2.6. And then state and territory governments have matched the MLA contribution,
>> right? But the so the 1.5 from MLA. >> that's is that producer levy funded? No, there's there's matching agreements there, but
>> this I couldn't comment on the source, Senator.
>> Or could you take that on notice? Um uh the uh the question I noticed the answer you've given to the question I notice says the contracts are being finalized. Have they now been signed and the state and territories all signed up?
>> The advice I've had is that it's completed and the work is now progressing and into complete phase one. So yes,
>> so contracts have been signed. I
>> understand the agreements are in place and the work's
>> okay
>> commenced.
>> Um the national rapid coordination program ends in December 26. what's going to happen to it and bio control
>> Well, this funding in itself extends that work. Senator
>> Okay. So, it replaces that effectively.
>> So, the rabbit coordination program is now extended uh through till >> December 2027.
>> Okay. Um there was an alternative proposal put forward to improve existing tools and monitoring but it was not funded and I quote was because it was not ranked as highly as others. Who put that forward and who sought the funding? >> I think that's from the question on notice.
>> It might be Senator. Thank you.
>> I'll have you take that on notice again then and let's do that to keep moving. Uh can I go to Veroaite then? How widespread is Veroa now? How many state and territories have detected uh Veroa mites outbreaks?
>> I believe I've got some statistics here, Senator, but I think it's important to say that this is no longer a response that that we from a biocurity perspective have direct engagement on. Um this is being managed with industry by jurisdictions, right? >> As we've transitioned to management.
>> So we're doing that across the country now.
>> That's right.
Is it in every state and territory?
>> I'm just seeing what figures I have. Dr. Joseph, any figures on that? Actually, I do have I've got some details. Send them. Um, so we've got present in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the ACT in South Australia. New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia currently the only jurisdictions where minicide resistance has been confirmed. Veromite continues to spread in Australia due to the highly mobile nature of apis with natural spread occurring more slowly. Um it's expected that veromite will continue to spread through both natural movement and through the movement of hives for pollination and as I mentioned no eradication of formal container activities such as movement control orders have been implemented following the detections it is now being moved to an industry and jurisdiction.
>> Okay. But there are no movement controls.
>> That's correct.
>> To WA. >> What about it's in Tasmania?
>> Um movement restrict I should point out movement restrictions remain in place for BB products and beekeeping equipment to Tasmania. And sorry. Yes. And to WA. Apologies.
>> And to WA. Okay. >> Okay. But the Australian government's not enforcing these movement controls. That's
>> domestic movement controls. That's right.
>> Okay. Okay. Um so uh a recent aggra futures survey found that veroa adds about $19 to $22 a hive uh in in costs. Has there been any assessment of the impact on pollination dependent industries like almonds and apples and
>> There certainly has been work done on that. I couldn't comment. Can you comment on that Dr. Collins?
>> Uh Susan Collins, acting Australian chief plant protection officer. Yes. So there there had uh been some um earlier work uh done looking at um impacts on on various industries uh um when the eradication response was was going on. Um but as Miss Saunders said uh now that it's established and um quite widespread across Australia uh the the management of Romite is um a state and territory regulatory responsibility and and with industry uh supporting the management of
uh so there's no further funding from the Commonwealth government to respond to VMI.
>> Not at this time.
>> Okay. Um it didn't seem to get discussed at the agricultural ministers meeting on the 18th September. Is that right?
>> That's correct.
>> Okay. I mean given that it's not in WA and Tasmania, why doesn't it remain something that's on the agenda at least of agricultural ministers?
sort of to say that it won't be on the
and I understand we had our own inquir on this. I understand you've had to move to management and states which have got it but I'm just wondering why it doesn't remain on the agenda of an agricultural minister's meeting to try and keep it out of Tasmania and Western Australia. It seems like an achievable goal given
wasn't on the agenda. It's not on the agenda. But um but but I take your
>> Okay. All right. It's another issue I think our shadow minister has written to the government asking it to remain a focus. Um uh just um I I'll take up and we no longer have Senator Wish Wilson here, but he was a it was a it was a B in his bonnet. Excuse the pun. Um uh he had a question I notice um about New South Wales testing that had linked the resistant mites to a newer incursion of Veroa separate from the 2222 detection. Do you have any information on that? Was there a separate incursion [snorts] that introduced these resistance mites?
>> That is the subject of investigation currently. So it's ongoing. So I can't give you any more context other than that.
>> Okay. Is that being are you involved in that investigation? The department's involved in that investigation. Okay. What's the status of that then? ongoing
at this stage. I don't have a time frame for you, Senator.
>> Okay. Um uh the department had play paid a econ plus $110,220 to review and redesign honey PB pest surveillance. Um uh and partly with a transition plan to 2030 in mind. That review was completed on the 7th of April. What did it recommend and is it going to be published or provided
So um that uh review uh senator is is currently um uh being considered by the uh by the relevant stakeholders. So, so the review looked at uh the national bee pest surveillance program as well as the national bee biocurity program. Um particularly uh now that now that vera was established, did anything need to change? Um did we need to refine or tweak our surveillance arrangements? What else needed to be incorporated into the the um national bee biocurity program as a sort of an ongoing responsibility and support for for the bee u beekeeping industry? So as I said that review um has been been finished. The the relevant steering committee that looks after those two national be biocurity programs is currently um considering those recommendations. Uh and we we expect to um you know uh we we expect to uh incorporate um the outcomes of that into the the uh B security program and the B pest surveillance program um in a more considered way going forward.