Tuesday, 2 August 2022

Gippsland East electorate

Mr T BULL (Gippsland East) (14:38): (6448) My question is to the Minister for Agriculture in the other place, and it relates to the threat of foot-and-mouth disease in Victoria. The information I seek is what is being done by the department of agriculture to ensure that our local governments are prepared for a potential outbreak? I am advised that if an outbreak occurs, council saleyards will instantly become quarantine centres for all cattle that are on the road at that particular time, and if there is an outbreak, they must go straight there. We need to be prepared at our regional saleyards with facilities like foot washers but also other important infrastructure. I ask the minister to advise what is being done to bring the regional saleyards that will act as quarantine centres up to standard so that they can fill that role in the highly unfortunate circumstance that an outbreak of foot-and-mouth occurs.