Roadside signs with advice for locals and travellers about the threat of Panama disease tropical race 4 are going up on major routes throughout North Queensland.
Panama disease tropical race 4 program Leader, Rebecca Sapuppo said the signs carried warnings about not entering properties without landholder approval, not moving high risk items such as banana plants and soil, and ensuring machinery and equipment was clean, free from soil and decontaminated before being moved.
“This is a joint effort between the Australian, Queensland and local governments to further protect the banana industry from the impacts of Panama disease,” Ms Sapuppo said.
“This is being coordinated by the Panama TR4 Regional Working Group based in North Queensland. The working group has representatives from state and local government, industry agencies and other stakeholders who are involved with the response or impacted by the outbreak,” she said.
“Having such a group operating locally and meeting regularly ensures that the latest information about the disease and the Panama TR4 program’s activities on the ground is rapidly shared with growers and the community.”
Ms Sapuppo said another initiative was postcards with biosecurity messages being sent to backpacker hostels around North Queensland.
“With so many backpackers working on banana farms it was important they understood the threat posed by the disease and the need for strict on-farm hygiene.
“The postcards carry advice about finding work through labour hire companies rather than just dropping into banana farms unannounced, signs of a suspect plant, and also the ‘come clean, leave clean’ message.
“The aim is to connect directly with the significant itinerant workforce in North Queensland in a novel and informative way which raises awareness about Panama disease tropical race 4 and encourages good biosecurity practices in the workplace.”
The postcards are available in Hmong, Korean, Laotian, Punjabi, Italian, French and Cantonese, and can be downloaded at www.biosecurity.qld.gov.au
These resources are in addition to the biosecurity farmgate signage initiative that was launched in June, and the Panama Grower Kit produced earlier this year.
