The federal government could make foot mats mandatory for all travellers from Indonesia and create new biosecurity zones at airports in response to the foot-and-mouth disease threat.
The new measures would make this process mandatory under a three-month trial, but would only apply to those travellers returning from Indonesia.
There have been calls from some members of the federal opposition — including former Agriculture Minister David Littleproud — to consider closing the border to Indonesia. Speaking at a joint press conference, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt and National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson both dismissed the idea."It would put at risk a trade that is very valuable."FMD has long been present in countries beyond Indonesia, but the proposed measures reflect the heightened concern of the disease's spread in such a near neighbour.
"It would shut the export markets immediately — so our meat, our wool, our cheese, our dairy products — they would all be halted immediately.Amid an increasingly politicised debate, Senator Watt called for calm and said Australia's reputation as a clean agricultural producer remained intact. "Australian meat products are safe to eat. We continue to enjoy the cleanest, safest meat and dairy products in the world," he said.
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