i agree mackka, a $420.00 is way to little with the impact that their actions can cause
the declaration form is written in their own language so there is no excuse
visa cancelled and deport them
as with the new tax for for fresh produce growers ,i don't know whether it would stuff up the producers mackka, but it will hit the bottom line
and for the producer bodies that are in favour of the tax i think all of them already have a say on biosecurity
i don't think i have seen any amount of money going to the government guarantees anyone anything
as if the farmers in all fields have not had enough to contend with over the last few years ,drought, fire ,covid ,floods
but lets look how well our biosecurity boards (personal) have protected the country over the last 25 years or so
lets stay with fresh produce
citrus canker- wiped the citrus industry of the map at emerald( biosecurity had been informed by a worker at the farm that the owners were smuggling trees from their home country into australia for a few years to cut planting costs) did nothing until the damage was done (the owner jumped ship back to china )there was a very high chance of the citrus industry in australia being wiped out we dodged a large bullet
white fly- introduced to the country on flowers being imported (new variety for breeding)
it was a bloody nightmare when they exploded over queensland ,the only way we had to control them was spraying the crops with molasses and white oil every 5 days
the white oil stuck their wings together so the little pricks could not fly and the molasses attracted ants so they would eat them ,then that created a ant problem, FFS more money spent on the crop to control the bloody ants
and when the chemical companies finally got a chemical registered for use in australia it cost $1500.00 a litre
no idea where the bottom line disappeared to
cane smut -introduced to the country on new cane varieties
the disease stunted the cane stick and reduced yields by tonnes per hectare
about 4 years of lost production to eradicate it
the thrip problem in WA- thankfully it was contained and i think is still under control ,but at what cost to the WA farmers
and god forbid even though it is more than 25 years ago don't mention the bloody cane toad
so a new tax on fresh produce growers, no i don't think so they have cost the industry more than enough now
well that's my rant