RAPAD on the front foot to counteract biosecurity threats

RAPAD chairman Tony Rayner said the far south west location might seem remote from the threat of foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease, but mayors wanted the seriousness of the issue to be front and centre of every meeting from now on.

That meeting is on August 22 but at the next virtual meeting, scheduled for August 5, Cr Rayner has put the importance of feral pig control on the agenda.

Feral pigs have been shown to be involved in the spread of African swine fever in many parts of the world, and are potential vectors for the spread of FMD, and Cr Rayner, who has previously been an assistant director-general with Queensland's Department of Primary Industries, said he expected increased pig culling would be high on the federal agricultural department's agenda now that FMD was present in Indonesia.

"Eradication isn't possible but culling is certainly possible," he said, adding that properties with exclusion fences would find them beneficial in controlling the spread of diseases.

"People with exclusion fences will be in a much better position with this on the horizon."

RAPAD has been negotiating with the state Department of Agriculture to undertake a biosecurity training and awareness day at Longreach on a date to be confirmed.

While its focus would be on council local laws officers, Cr Rayner said there was no reason why livestock transporters and primary producers couldn't be involved as well.

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He said it would be a general awareness raising day - knowing what the symptoms of FMD and lumpy skin disease were - so that they would be able to act quickly in the event of the worst case scenario, that such diseases ended up in Australia.

"There will also be strong messaging around how to keep exotic diseases out of Australia, and how it's everyone's responsibility," he said. "It's important to act quickly with this - I expect the day will take place within the next couple of weeks."

Goondiwindi mayor Lawrence Springborg recently urged all residents to pitch in to protect the region due to the "devastating" effect a foot and mouth disease outbreak would have on its $591 million agriculture industry.

All RAPAD councils have distributed posters at Visitor Information Centres, libraries and local airport terminals in awareness-raising exercises, and to prompt people who might have returned from overseas and forgotten to declare a food item.

Maranoa's Local Disaster Management Group met this week to discuss the current situation in relation to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease in South East Asia.

The region is home to Australia's largest saleyard and the LDMG said it was working with the Maranoa Regional Council and relevant agencies to ensure there was a coordinated focus on prevention and preparedness in the likelihood of an emergency biosecurity event.

"Further information will be made available on the steps that residents and visitors to our region can take to help prevent the spread of these diseases," a communique said.

Cr Rayner said the 77 local governments in Queensland each had local laws officers, which state and federal governments could regard as an additional resource for disease monitoring purposes.

"They have contact with stock, whether it's at saleyards or out spraying weeds, and could be keeping their eyes open for symptoms," he said.