QUARANTINE —
TRAVELLERS
636. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Minister for Agriculture and
Food:
I refer to an ABC Kimberley news
article of 19 May 2019 that stated that Western Australia's $8 billion
agriculture industry is at risk from travellers breaching quarantine
regulations when entering WA.
(1) How many
tonnes of contraband were seized or stopped at the WA border in 2018 and is
this an increase or decrease on the previous two years?
(2) What
education programs or additional investment will the state government introduce
to reduce the amount of contraband being brought into Western Australia?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the
question. I will just say that I have been to the quarantine station on the Western
Australia–Northern Territory border just outside Kununurra. I am very
impressed with the work that is being done there and the thoroughness of the
activities undertaken by our quarantine officers. With respect to the
specifics, I advise the following.
(1) There were
50.8 tonnes of quarantine-risk material intercepted at interstate entry points
during 2017–18. This was an increase from 2016–17, when 46.9 tonnes
were intercepted, but a decrease from 2015–16, when 52 tonnes were
intercepted.
(2) Ongoing
educational material is provided at roadhouses prior to entry into Western Australia
and also at the domestic airport. Commercial carriers are also required to
provide announcements on quarantine requirements when entering the state.
Articles also feature in travel magazines.