Media Release

Late yesterday, KAP federal leader Bob Katter asked the Prime Minister to intervene after the Northern Territory Government made a diabolical decision to lift quarantine restrictions for a disease that has wiped out the NT banana industry.

NT banana farms have almost been destroyed by Panama Tropical Disease Race 4, and strict quarantine restrictions were put in place in the NT to ensure containment of the deadly disease.

“But recently a bureaucrat in an office somewhere in the NT has determined in their infinite wisdom that the restrictions should be lifted – containment is no longer a priority,” said Mr Katter.

“The NT Government is shirking its responsibility to contain the disease within their borders. Containment is essential for the future survival of Australia’s $450 million banana industry.

“Any outbreak in areas where banana farms are concentrated – from Tully, Innisfail and Mareeba in North Qld south to Coffs Harbour and west to Carnarvon – would wreak havoc a thousand times worse than any cyclone.

“The Australian banana industry, PM and Minister for Agriculture all require an urgent explanation from the NT Government – How could such a decision be made without consultation with the leading industry? How could a bureaucrat be allowed to make such a decision? Who is going to take responsibility and reverse this lunacy?”

North Qld’s banana industry – which accounts for about 90 per cent of the nation’s growers – is only just now getting back on its feet after the devastation of Cyclone Yasi.

“There’s thousands of jobs being placed at risk here... an outbreak of Panama would have a colossal impact on the 50,000 people living in the growing regions within the Cassowary Coast and Tablelands areas – particularly Tully, Innisfail and Mareeba, whose economies are mainly dependant on bananas since the demise of the sugar industry.

“And we’ve seen how badly disease outbreaks can bite economically – for instance the black sigatoka banana disease cost us over $100 million.
“Experience has also shown us that once the banana industry is closed down, prime ‘food bowl’ growing agricultural lands will be used for marginal cattle operations, deteriorate, be marked for subdivision and taken over by ‘life-stylers’.

“Because this decision by the NT Government’s decision to lift its quarantine restrictions has potential far-reaching social and economic implications for growers across Australia – particularly North Qld – we have called for urgent intervention from the Federal Government.”