Acrossbench MP has aired concerns that sheep are not being sold in Mount Gambier and other South East saleyards but instead going straight to Victoria owing to the intense State Government footrot scrutiny in South Australia.
One Nation MLC and veterinarian Dr Sarah Game told the Legislative Council the issue had been raised in the capital city media by Mount Gambier stock agents.
“Producers and stock agents have reported that South Australia’s approach to managing footrot is resulting in sheep bypassing South East saleyards to go to Victoria,” Dr Game said.
“In that state, footrot is not considered a notifiable disease and takes a ‘buyer beware’ approach when purchasing sheep.”
She repeated a Mount Gambier agent’s claim that PIRSA’s intense monitoring was crippling their yardings and was a reactive rather than proactive approach.
“It is resulting in dishonesty or avoidance by producers who are cautious of flagging potential cases of benign footrot due to onerous management plans that follow,” Dr Game said.
“For producers who are singled out and have their pens placarded, it can also result in mental anguish for the flocks’ owners.
“Questions over the effectiveness of the current program have been raised, particularly as close to $1m is being directed at the disease; however, detection numbers continue to increase.
“Accessing a vaccine for the different strains of footrot can only be done in SA through the Chief Inspector of Stock and not through private veterinarians.
“It is also reported that PIRSA are discussing alternative biosecurity options with South Australian agents to alleviate the redirection of sheep sales from the state to Victoria.”
Dr Game then directed a series of questions to Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven about biosecurity options and accessibility to footrot vaccines.
In reply, Minister Scriven said she had discussed the footrot issues with her department and Livestock SA.
She said there were differing views around how footrot should be addressed.
“Certainly, in the South East of the state, due to the usual weather conditions, it is more prevalent than it is in more dry parts of the state,” Minister Scriven said.
“Currently, to my knowledge, there are different views from producers as to whether the existing regime is appropriate because it is very much tailored to trying to arrest the spread of footrot or, as some producers are reporting in the South East, whether they find it too onerous.
“However, the issue of whether PIRSA were reactive was raised, and PIRSA have advised me they certainly do not consider themselves to be reactive: they consider themselves to be undertaking the roles they are required to undertake under the sheep industry funding scheme and the actions that that requires them to do.
“Also, PIRSA are involved in education around footrot: how to prevent it, how to recognise it and how to treat it and stop it spreading in the best ways that are available.
“I have certainly raised the possibility of a review of it, which potentially would be led by industry, to see whether there are any different approaches that would address some of the issues that have been raised by Dr Game and by stakeholders.”
Liberal Upper House Opposition Leader and veterinarian Dr Nicola Centofanti asked if the State Government would fund the review and Minister Scriven said that it had not yet decided on such a probe.
Greens MLC Tammy Franks asked if newly-appointed Cross Border Commissioner Liz McKinnon had been involved in the footrot issue but Minister Scriven said she was still a few weeks away from starting her new role.
