The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is urging the Victorian government to completely overhaul the state’s truck wash network due to biosecurity issues.
The VFF wants the system to be completely changed to plug major gaps in Victoria’s biosecurity preparedness safety net.
VFF Livestock president Scott Young says the recent closure of the truck wash facility at the Pakenham saleyards exposes how fragile the network currently is.
“Our biosecurity safety net is only as strong as its weakest point and with the closure of the Pakenham facility, we’re left vulnerable,” Young says.
“Truck washes are a vital part of keeping of our industry safe and detecting any potential threats. In the event of an emergency animal disease, the need for an efficient and effective truck wash network would be central to a statewide response.”
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Young says VFF is calling for an overhaul to the state’s truck wash network as metropolitan Melbourne is a major route for truck movements, meaning it makes sense to establish more truck washes on key arterials such as the Western Ring Road and Hume Highway.
“There’s arguably no bigger threat to Australian agriculture than a large-scale biosecurity outbreak,” Young says.
“We see investing in this infrastructure as insurance to help protect our multi-billion dollar industry.”
In addition to new truck wash facilities, VFF’s recommendations to the state government include implementing a best practice guide for truck washes with minimum standards and guidelines, as well as the scoping of a new site dedicated to effluent management within the greater Melbourne area.
The VFF calls for further work to be undertaken to better understand the role truck washes have within AUSVETPLAN and how the network could be used in the event of an EAD outbreak, while the federations wants a site-specific needs analysis developed through industry consultation for a new facility to be built in areas that meet the needs of the livestock transport sector.
Alongside dedicated government funding to maintain and upgrade existing truck washes, the VFF also wants the government to ensure a new site uses the latest technology to enable best practice biosecurity.
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