Australians seen as bad apples on biosecurity

Australia is continuing to "cheat" in its analysis of whether New Zealand apples are a biosecurity risk, says Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton.

Australian authorities have included a Victoria orchardist on a panel examining the risk of fireblight.

The grower, Ian Armour, is a former president of the Australian Apple and Pear Growers' Association. He said he was not on the panel because he was a grower, but because of his knowledge of industry processes and trading patterns.

However, his New Zealand counterpart, Pipfruit Growers chairman Phil Alison, questioned the need for industry participants on the panel.

His members would blame the makeup of the panel if it eventually decided the risk of getting fireblight from imported New Zealand apples was too high.

Mr Sutton said that while Australia was entitled to appoint experts, the stacking of the panel was just the latest of many questionable Australian decisions on the fireblight issue.

Mr Sutton said it would be absurd to believe the panel was there to go through a process of honest scientific evaluation.

"New Zealand growers will just take it as confirmation for what, frankly, many have long believed: that the Australians cheat in matters of biosecurity."

- NZPA

Feature: Conservation & Environment