Victorian truck wash closure to leave huge biosecurity gap

The Victorian Farmers Federation says the upcoming closure of a Geelong truck wash in September will leave a gaping hole in the state’s biosecurity safety net.

The federation is in turn calling on the Vic Government to overhaul the failing network.

VFF Livestock President Scott Young said the Geelong facility’s impending closure follows that of the Packenham truck wash back in 2024, which has in turn left Victoria vulnerable to biosecurity incursions.

“Our biosecurity safety net is only as strong as its weakest point and with the closure of washes in Packenham and now Geelong, we’re left vulnerable,” Mr Young said.

“Truck washes are a vital part of keeping of our industry safe and detecting any potential threats. In the event of an emergency animal disease, the need for an efficient and effective truck wash network would be central to a state-wide response.”

He said the state now has two massive holes within its truck wash network on the eastern and western sides of Melbourne and increasing movement of livestock into the city’s meat processors is going to exacerbate this gap.

“We need increased investment from the government and industry to keep vital infrastructure like this operating,” Mr Young said.

 “This includes fast-tracking of new and planned truck washes to ensure our biosecurity preparedness remains high.”

He said there’s an obvious need for the government to step in and overhaul the state’s failing truck wash network in the wake in these closures.

“There’s arguably no bigger threat to Australian agriculture than a large-scale biosecurity outbreak. We see investing in this infrastructure as insurance to help protect our multi-billion dollar industry,” Mr Young said.

The VFF is reiterating previous calls for the government to:

· Scope new facilities as well as dedicated effluent management within the greater Melbourne area and dedicated government funding to maintain and upgrade existing truck washes.

· Ensure that a new facility uses the latest technology to enable best practice biosecurity.

In other news…

Australian Dairy Farmers has welcomed last week’s announcement that farmers impacted by recent floods will be eligible for Category D disaster assistance grants of up to $75,000.

The announcement of this support package follows weeks of pressure from affected communities and farmer groups including NSW Farmers and ADF.

ADF President Ben Bennett congratulated the NSW Government for its leadership in working constructively with the Commonwealth to secure this long-overdue support.

“This funding will be a vital lifeline for farmers in the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions who’ve been hit hard by record flooding,” Mr Bennett said.

“ADF, eastAUSmilk and NSW Farmers have been calling for this since May, so it’s great to see both the Commonwealth and NSW governments working together in providing this assistance.

“We commend the NSW Government for recognising the scale of damage and standing by local producers – especially our dairy farmers – who are doing it incredibly tough.”

The grants are designed to help farmers cover clean-up operations, emergency feed, fodder and water, infrastructure repairs, disposal of dead livestock, and rebuilding damaged or destroyed on-farm assets.

Eligible primary producers can apply through the NSW Rural Assistance Authority. More information is available at www.raa.nsw.gov.au or by calling 1800 678 593.