By Andrew Phillips, 6th December 2006
One need not be surprised as the track record of Australian media when it comes to raising the profile of threats to our nation is less than admirable, however, Adelaide Hills weekly “The Courier” should be commended for finally taking up the concerns of local fruit growers with their recent report on the threat of Fire Blight from imported fruit.
The uncertainty faced by Australian apple growers due to the indifference shown by Bio (in)Security Australia was raised repeatedly by Australian Protectionist candidates during the last Federal Election, notably by One Nation’s Senate candidate, however it was an issue both the major parties and the media chose to ignore at the time.
In a well-written article which clarified all the issues, the Courier indicated that for the fourth time in a decade Hills fruit growers are facing the threat by Bio Security Australia to allow in NZ Apples, a move which threatens the $40million industry.
In a move one could expect from the globalist bureaucracy, growers have only been given until January 12 to lodge an appeal against the recommendations by Bio Security — conveniently timed for the growers’ busiest time of year.
Fire Blight is a disease which could easily wipe out all of our state’s pear orchards and severely damage our apple crops. Most of our estimated 150 growers are located in the Hills in a region where weather conditions make the trees vulnerable to fire blight. To allow in the imported apples threatens the state’s reputation as a “clean, green” provider as well as our export markets.
Under Bio Security’s recommendations, the level of quarantine protection our nation’s producers can expect is limited to the apples being inspected only once, with fruit being harvested from trees showing “signs” of fire blight or harvested from trees as close as three metres to those showing severe infection.
A representative of local growers indicated that fire blight can only be controlled through the use of antibiotic sprays which are not registered in our country and would not be allowed into our water catchment areas.
New Zealand apples have been banned from our nation since 1921 due to the prevalence of Fire Blight across the Tasman.
Downer’s reticence to come to the defence of growers in his own electorate clearly shows that his concern lies not with the welfare of his constituents, not with the security of their livelihoods or the well being of their families, but with the continuation of the major parties’ programme for open borders, unfettered trade and globalisation — at any cost.
Considering that Bio Security is little more than the mouth piece of these wretched global village idiots, it is of little surprise that they continually come up with the same findings the government seeks, recommending that our people be offered substandard imported food, much of it from nations with poor processing standards and rife with infectious diseases which threaten the nation’s safe, clean and green reputation, threaten the livelihoods of our primary producers, associated industries and the economic welfare of regional Australians.
Boycott imported food where ever possible. Write to your local MP demanding that local producers be given the protection they deserve. Write to the papers condemning politicians’ ineptitude and lack of concern for the welfare of regional Australia and the health of Australians nationwide.
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