PROPERTY owners have the right to ask for reasonable measures to be taken to reduce the risk of new pests and diseases entering their farm.
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) grains biosecurity officer Kym McIntyre said that it is okay to say ‘no’ to people who do not have a legitimate reason for entering your property or are not willing to undertake reasonable biosecurity practices.
”A great first step for implementing biosecurity measures on your property is erecting a sign at the entrance that asks people to notify you before entering the property. This shows visitors that you take biosecurity on your farm seriously,” Ms McIntyre said.
“Having visitors call ahead means you can give them detailed instructions on where they can and can’t go on the property. Other signs that direct visitors to areas such as visitor parking bays, the office, delivery zones and the location of clean down facilities is also a good idea.”
Ms McIntyre went on to say that vehicles, machinery, people, soil, water and planting material can all carry pests and disease. Therefore, limiting access to the productive areas of a property can reduce the risk of pests and diseases entering and becoming established.
“Developing a biosecurity plan and implementing new biosecurity measures may take some long term planning and investment, however by restricting the likelihood of pests and diseases from entering your property could save time and money spent controlling pests as well as protecting your livelihood and the industry,” she said.
“One of the first things you should do when developing a biosecurity plan is to evaluate the farm’s layout.
“For example, regularly used infrastructure such as sheds, silos, stockyards and machinery parking areas should be located in an area that can be easily accessed by trucks performing errands, delivering goods or picking up produce, so they do not have to drive through production areas.
“It may not be feasible to relocate some things like silos or stockyards, however you could consider how they are accessed or construct some smaller yards near the entrance of the property to be used for loading and unloading stock and quarantining before allowing them onto the property.”
According to Ms McIntyre, you should evaluate the biosecurity risk visiting vehicles or machinery, such as spray or harvest contractors, pose to your property. You can do this by asking where and when their last job was, and when they last cleaned down their vehicle or equipment.
“It is a good idea to visually inspect their machine or vehicle too before it enters the property, particularly if it has come from a higher risk area,” she said.
“There will always be people who need access to properties to inspect crops or perform spraying and harvesting. That is why keeping a visitors log is advisable, as it keeps a record of who is coming onto your property and what they are doing.”
If you would like to obtain free farm gate biosecurity signs contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23. CLICK HERE for more information about on-farm biosecurity in the grains industry.
