Another Aussie delay on import of apples

By GREG ANSLEY

CANBERRA - Australia has delayed indefinitely a decision on New Zealand's latest bid to export apples across the Tasman.

Despite a draft report late last year that there was no scientific justification for preventing the import of New Zealand apples, Agriculture Minister Warren Truss yesterday announced a new round of consultation and analysis.

The move was not unexpected, with the Government facing possible defeat in an election, due this year, as a result of large-scale voter desertion and policy backlash in key rural seats.

The issue of transtasman apple imports has become sensitive because of fears of fireblight disease. Canberra has come under severe pressure to reject the draft findings of the interim risk analysis by Biosecurity Australia.

There is significant parliamentary support for a continued ban as the Senate rural and regional affairs and transport legislation committee studies the matter.

The committee chairman, Senator Winston Crane, yesterday welcomed the decision to extend consultation.

He said there was strong evidence to suggest that the fireblight bacterium, which is present in New Zealand but not in Australia, was a robust and vigorous bacterium, which could be transferred to a host in Australia if imported apples were contaminated.

The Australian Government is up against World Trade Organisation rules against the use of phytosanitary regulations as industry protection.

The rejection of the advice of its own quarantine scientific experts would expose it to WTO action by New Zealand.

Observers in Canberra had expected a final decision on Wellington's application to be delayed until after the election.

Mr Truss said key scientific issues resulting from public submissions would be circulated to interested parties. A series of workshops would then follow in a process expected to take several months.

Quarantine officials would also carry out more research to clarify outstanding scientific issues, which included chlorine dips, anti-bacterial treatment and the viability of fireblight bacteria.

Noting that the move was a break with the standard risk analysis process, Mr Truss said any further research would be carried out by independent scientists.

But no time limit had been imposed on them.

He assured the New Zealand Government that Australia would continue to assess its application on its scientific merits. At the same time, the Government expected Biosecurity Australia to tackle all the scientific issues, regardless of how long this would take.