RIVERINA MP Michael McCormack wants exclusion zones established around key apple growing regions, to protect the local industry from exposure to fire blight entering on imported New Zealand apples.
Mr McCormack visited NZ with a delegation of Coalition MPs, including Shadow Agriculture Minister John Cobb, to inspect on-farm apple growing and packing processes.
He said one of the issues they detected was the chemical content in water used to wash apples at NZ packing houses.
Apples destined for export are washed in water which is only changed every 48 hours, he said.
Mr McCormack was concerned the water contained chemicals like streptomycin, which are sprayed in NZ orchards but not permitted in Australia.
Streptomycin is a pesticide used to control bacteria growth and fungal diseases in fruit and vegetable crops, and in particular for controlling fire blight on apple and pear trees.
In August this year Australia started importing NZ apples for the first time in 90 years, after the practice was stopped in the 1920s due to fire blight risk.
But Mr McCormack said the Gillard Government had "caved in" to free trade demands in opening the door to NZ apple imports.
Although he conceded a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling contributed to the trade ban’s removal, he believed the Government could have implemented tighter quarantine and border protection measures.
"It’s not a matter of if we get fire blight (from imported NZ apples) here in Australia - it’s a matter of when," he said.
"And when we do, all those people who espoused the virtues of free trade can be held accountable.
"We need stronger quarantine measures, but that’s not going to happen under Labor because they put free trade above fair trade."
Mr McCormack is concerned fire blight will destroy thousands of jobs in apple and pear growing regions, if it eventually enters Australia.
But he says NSW and other State governments could start placing exclusion zones around key growing regions.
The protection zones would be lined by roadside bins for throwing out NZ fruit before vehicles enter the restricted areas, with fines handed out for breaches.
Mr McCormack said exclusion zones already operated around the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and Batlow Orchards in his NSW electorate, to prevent the spread of fruit fly.
He promised to raise the idea in a meeting this week with NSW Agriculture Minister, Katrina Hodgkinson.
Mr McCormack said the Coalition delegation posed some tough questions to NZ apple and fruit industry delegates, who were forthcoming with their information and responses.
But two hours into the three-day tour the delegation witnessed their first example of fire blight in a NZ pear orchard.
In the cool rooms and processing rooms they inspected, they witnessed leaf matter "certainly getting through" on apples being packed for export.
Before the delegation departed, Biosecurity Australia officials revealed 13 consignments of NZ apples destined for Australia had been inspected, with three rejected for export, due to the presence leaf litter and apple leaf curling midge.
Apple and Pear Australia Ltd. chairman, John Lawrenson, said the detections of trash and leaf curling midge meant AQIS inspectors were doing a thorough job.
But he also said the NZ Standard Orchard Practices - accepted by Biosecurity Australia as sufficient to protect Australia’s pest and disease free status - were clearly not adequate.
Mr Cobb said the NZ Agricultural Minister and other local officials were keen to point out that fire blight was manageable in NZ apple orchards.
But when pressed, he said they were less certain of their ability to maintain a vibrant pear industry, which was "much more susceptible to fire blight".
"Our major concern is that Biosecurity Australia could have done much more within the WTO rules that would have alleviated disease risks to our industry, such as mandatory orchard inspections for the first couple of years," Mr Cobb said.
Mr McCormack said NZ apple growers were "delighted" Australia had lifted the long-running trade ban.
He said 80 per cent of NZ’s fruit produce was exported as they had a limited domestic market, growing an abundance of food for their population of about 4.4 million people.
Mr McCormack said he was pleased that Coles and Woolworths had decided they would not stock NZ apples and help protect local growers.
