National News Australia

A bumper year for biosecurity

Published

2 years ago

6 January 2023

JeffG

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A bumper year for biosecurity

Once again, it has been a busy year on the frontline for Australia’s biosecurity system, with over 238,000 biosecurity risk items intercepted at airports and an additional 32,800 biosecurity risk items stopped in mail centres.

Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Australia’s Director of Biosecurity, Andrew Metcalfe AO, said it was important to check what is safe to bring into Australia when going on holidays overseas or buying goods online.

“If there’s one thing we’ve seen this year, it’s that Australians care about biosecurity and want to do the right thing to keep our country safe,” Mr Metcalfe said.

“This Christmas, we are asking that Australians continue to do the right thing at the border.

“If you have friends or family overseas who want to send gifts, make sure they know the rules as well. And if you’re not sure, declare it or don’t bring it in.

“Our frontline biosecurity officers and our biosecurity detector dogs go above and beyond to protect Australia’s agricultural industries, our food supply chain, and our unique way of life.

“I want to sincerely thank our officers who work day and night to keep this country safe.”

Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity and Compliance, Dr Chris Locke, said serious penalties applied to those putting Australian biosecurity at risk.

“There have been six visa cancellations on biosecurity grounds across our international airports and 861 international travellers were issued with high penalty infringement notices of $2,664 for not declaring high biosecurity risk items,” Dr Locke said.

“Biosecurity officers have introduced new biosecurity risk measures to help keep Australia free from diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF), and lumpy skin disease (LSD).

“Some of the risk material people tried to bring into the country through the post included a whole leg of ham with the trotter still on, live leeches, a wooden cricket bat with live borers and wallaby meat.

“Our biosecurity officers also found brown marmorated stink bugs in the mail and in people’s luggage, and live khapra beetle larvae on cardamom pods.

“This year we celebrated 30 years of our detector dog program, and in the 2022-23 budget the Australian Government committed $11.7 million dollars to the program.

“This extra funding will allow for 20 detector dogs and 20 handlers, who will be on the frontline of our biosecurity system across travellers, mail and cargo.

“And it’s a worthy investment. This year our detector dog teams intercepted around 21,000 biosecurity risk items from travellers and in the mail.

“While most people do the right thing and either leave their risk items behind or declare them on arrival, there are some people who are prepared to threaten Australia’s biosecurity by trying to conceal high risk goods.

“The Australian Government takes these threats to our biosecurity very seriously. Recently, the Biosecurity Act 2015 was amended so the penalties and sentencing fit the crime.

“People who attempt to conceal high risk goods, including within their luggage, could face civil penalties of up to 1,200 penalty units, or $266,400. If hit with an infringement notice, they may have to pay up to $4,440.

“Operators and persons in charge of aircrafts and vessels who do not comply with the requirements will be subject to sanctions of up to $222,000 for an individual or $1.1 million for corporate bodies.”

Fast facts:

Visa cancelations included two international visitors who arrived in Perth.
One of the travellers failed to declare 240 grams of non-commercially packaged beef, 1890 grams of shrimp with chili paste, 395 grams of dried shrimp, 75 grams of powdered shrimp, 360 grams of fish noodle paste, and 750 grams of other plant and fruit materials in their luggage.
The second traveller failed to declare 490 grams of beef, 350 grams of chicken, 210 grams of dried fish, 150 grams of chili onion paste and 625 grams of unknown materials with dry chili.
Both received $2664 infringement notices and had their visas cancelled.
Another passenger had their visa cancelled and received a $2664 infringement notice after attempting to bring eggs, a cob of corn and home-grown dried vegetable material into Australia, hidden in commercial packaging.
Penalty units will increase from 1 January 2023, which will see an increase to all infringement notices issued.

Wallaby meat

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Port Macquarie

Call for more mates to support Port Macquarie’s Sailability

Published

1 week ago

27 September 2024

JeffG

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Call for more mates to support Port Macquarie’s Sailability

Vision available: https://tinyurl.com/mrz9nhz7

The Port Macquarie community group, Sailability, is calling for volunteers ahead of this year’s sailing season, as the club prepares to take to the Hastings River again on Wednesday 25 September.
Sailability is a volunteer organisation whose mission is to offer people with varying abilities freedom on the water.
The club uses a fleet of specially designed sailing dinghies with simplified controls and enhanced stability to hold weekly sailing days for people living with physical and mental disability.
The club received $55,920 from the NSW Government to extend its carpark and complete landscaping around its new boat shed and accessible amenities block, as well as to install six accessible picnic tables in McInherney Park.
The not-for-profit club is the only organisation of its kind in the area and its 80 volunteers cater to approximately 60 sailors each week.
The group provides its services at no charge, with sailors coming from disability support units at local schools in Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Laurieton and Kempsey, as well as disability service providers, aged care facilities and private enquiries.
Census statistics for show there are approximately 6,000 people with serious or profound disability in the Port Macquarie area, and the club struggles to meet the demand for its services.
People keen to get involved in volunteering with the club can attend McInherney Park on Wednesdays between September and May to learn more, or go to www.sailabilitypm.com.au and click the Contact Us tab.
Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:
“This fantastic community group is really making waves in terms of improving quality of life for people in the Port Macquarie area with disability.
“It’s wonderful to see people experience a sense of achievement and improved self-confidence and self-esteem through their participation in Sailability’s program.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Inclusion, Liesl Tesch* said:
“Sailability is a beacon of hope and inclusion in Port Macquarie. By fostering a sense of belonging on the water, they’re not only enhancing the lives of people with disability but also enriching the entire community.”
“The amazing volunteers at Sailability do such important work helping build confidence and resilience for so many people in the region each week.”
*Liesl Tesch is a seven-time Paralympian including winning two gold medals in sailing
Sailability Port Macquarie volunteer Rick Eller said:
“The club has come a long way from humble beginnings when it launched in December 2012, we were using two borrowed boats at the time, we had a handful of volunteers, and we were borrowing life jackets from the SES or emergency services here in Port Macquarie.
“The best part about working for Sailability is the expressions and the smiles when the people who’ve been sailing come back to the pontoon, that’s what makes it all worthwhile.”
Sailability Port Macquarie Vice President Julie Constable said:
“It’s extremely important that people are aware that people with a disability are very able and keen to get out into society so something like this is off great benefit to the community.”

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Cowra

Teen charged with multiple property offences in Cowra – Operation Regional Mongoose

Published

1 week ago

26 September 2024

JeffG

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Teen charged with multiple property offences in Cowra – Operation Regional Mongoose

Tuesday, 24 September 2024 02:01:49 PM
A teen will face court charged following investigations into multiple property-related offences in the state’s central west.

Operation Regional Mongoose is a high-visibility police operation to tackle serious property-related crime, committed predominately by young offenders.

About 4.30am yesterday (Monday 23 September 2024), emergency services were call to the low level bridge adjacent to Grenfell Road, Cowra, following reports a Subaru sedan was well alight.

Officers attached to Chifley Police District attended and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire.

Checks revealed the car was allegedly stolen from a home on Liverpool Street, Cowra, between 7.30pm on Sunday (22 September 2024), and 4.30am yesterday (Monday 23 September 2024.

Following inquiries, about 2am today (Tuesday 24 September 2024), police were patrolling Young Street, Cowra, when they stopped and spoke to a 17-year-old boy sitting in a park.

The boy was subjected to a search, and police located gloves, a box cutter and keys to a Subaru.

He was taken to Cowra Police Station and charged with;

Steal motor vehicle
Aggravated break and enter dwelling in company steal
Take and drive conveyance without consent of owner
Custody of knife in public place
Possess housebreaking implements
Never licensed person drive vehicle on road
Goods in personal custody suspected being stolen, and
Commit S154C offence and disseminate.
The teen was refused bail to appear at a Children’s court today (Tuesday 24 September 2024).

Inquiries under Operation Regional Mongoose continue.

Anyone with information about Operation Regional Mongoose is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

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Bathurst

Man charged after allegedly threatening police – Bathurst

Published

1 week ago

26 September 2024

JeffG

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Man charged after allegedly threatening police – Bathurst

Tuesday, 24 September 2024 12:58:23 PM

A man is due to face court over alleged death threats made towards police officers in the Central West region.

About 10pm on Saturday 21 September 2024, a man allegedly called Triple 0 and threatened to kill a police officer and a judicial officer.

Officers attached to Chifley Police District were alerted and commenced an investigation into the incident.

Following extensive inquiries, police arrested a 37-year-old man at a home on Seymour Street, Bathurst, about 12.15pm yesterday (Monday 23 September 2024).

Police executed a search warrant at the home, where they located and seized laptops, a mobile phone, and other items, which will undergo forensic examination.

The man was taken to Bathurst Police Station and charged with use carriage service to threaten to kill; hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty and fail to comply digital evidence access order direction.

The man was refused bail to appear at Bathurst Local Court tomorrow (Wednesday 25 September 2024).

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