Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   orders that all documents associated with the development of the import protocol for apples from New Zealand be laid on the table by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by 5 pm on Thursday, 30 June 2011, including:

     (i)   all details of the Integrated Fruit Production System that forms the basis of on farm management of fireblight and other diseases in orchards producing apples for export to Australia, including a copy of the Integrated Fruit Production Manual,

     (ii)   documents referred to in the Draft report for the non-regulated analysis of existing policy for apples from New Zealand (May 2011) (the draft report), including:

  (A)   Biosecurity Services Group (2011) Trip Report: Apple production practices in Hawkes Bay and Nelson, New Zealand, March 6–11, Biosecurity Services Group, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra,

  (B)   Japan Regulations (2007) Plant Quarantine Enforcement: Detailed Regulation Concerning Fresh Apple Fruit Produced in New Zealand, July 2007,

  (C)   Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry New Zealand (2011) Correspondence sent from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to Plant Biosecurity, 8 April 2011, and

  (D)   Rogers DJ (2008): Correspondence sent from Dr DJ Rogers to the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and

     (iii)   evidence of new science taken into account in preparing the draft report which was not referred to in the Final Import Risk Analysis Report for Apples from New Zealand (November 2006),

     (iv)   records of communications between Biosecurity Australia or the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry with:

  (A)   the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, or Minister for Trade about the draft report, or the review leading to the draft report, including all briefings provided to the Prime Minister concerning the review prior to her speech to the New Zealand Parliament on 16 February 2011 and all briefings provided to the Minister for Trade, Minister for Foreign Affairs or Prime Minister concerning the review prior to the Minister for Trade publishing the document 'Gillard Government Trade Policy Statement: Trading our way to more jobs and prosperity' in April 2011,

  (B)   the Director of Quarantine,

  (C)   the Government of New Zealand since the decision by the World Trade Organization in 2010, including ministers and New Zealand Government departments and agencies, and

  (D)   Pipfruit New Zealand Inc.,

     (v)   all details of how 'equivalence' of other systems will be assessed and the process of consulting with Australian industry with regard to permission of other on farm systems,

     (vi)   all details relating to the verification processes, including audit frequency, auditor qualifications/competency and registration, related to the Integrated Fruit Production System,

     (vii)   all details of the historic efficacy of the Integrated Fruit Production System in containing, controlling and preventing the outbreak of fireblight and other diseases in apple orchards,

     (viii)   all details of pack house management protocols for export of apples to Australia, including, but not limited to:

  (A)   details of testing and assessment of fruit maturity,

  (B)   maintenance of sanitary conditions in dump tank water,

  (C)   maintenance of high pressure water washing and brushing of fruit,

  (D)   good hygiene practices, and

  (E)   training of key personnel in the identification of fireblight and other diseases of concern to Australia,

     (ix)   all details relating to the verification processes, including audit frequency, auditor qualifications/competency and registration, related to the pack house management protocols,

     (x)   details of accreditation of auditors and certification bodies by independent bodies, such as JAS-ANZ [Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand],

     (xi)   all details of inspection protocols at the border, including training, qualifi­cations/ competency and registration of inspectors, and

     (xii)   mitigation measures for outbreaks of fireblight in export orchards; and

  (b)   calls on the Government to extend to 4 August 2011 the period of public consultation by Biosecurity Australia on the draft report, to allow consideration of the documents referred to above.

Question agreed to.