Australians drag heels over apples

Apple growers say Australian officials are stalling on the release of a report that will determine whether they will lift a ban on importing New Zealand fruit.

Apples from this country have been banned in Australia for almost 85 years because of fireblight.

But in 2003 the World Trade Organisation - dealing with the same issue between Japan and the United States - ruled that the disease was not transmitted by mature fruit.

Last week Japan finally agreed to reopen its borders to US apples.

Rupert Ryan, an apple grower and spokesman for Australian Apple Access Action Group, said growers were fed up with Australian stalling tactics.

In July Foreign Minister Phil Goff was told by his Australian counterpart, Alexander Downer, that an initial draft assessment on the issue was "weeks, not months" away.

More than two months later the New Zealand industry is sceptical about Australian promises.

"It's just another example of the Australians sucking in one of our ministers," Ryan said.

Phil Goff's office directed Business Herald inquiries to Trade and Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton last week.

"Australia was continuing to be pressed for [an assessment] every time officials met, but were continuing to be told it would be 'soon'," Sutton said.

It was not an issue that was going to go away and Australia knew they had to deal with it, he said.

Sutton said the news that Japan would open its borders to US apples was a positive step. New Zealand was a third party to that case.

"We have already asked Japan to apply the new scientifically-based regime to New Zealand apples, and this is getting a positive hearing.

"We also call on Australia, who was party to the US-Japan case on the side of Japan, to apply the same standard of honest science to NZ apples." But Ryan says there have been no positive signs out of Australia for weeks.

"I'd like to say there have been but really the last indication we got from the Australians was that they were going to make a statement before the New Zealand election." he said. "Then when they made that statement they turned around and said ... what date's the election?"

New Zealand growers wanted to see a bit more pressure from the Government to pin down a date for the assessment.

The issue hinged on getting the draft assessment from the Australian Biosecurity committee, Ryan said.

"We need a finding of some description. Something to get our teeth into."