How everyday people can protect Australia against foot and mouth disease

A biosecurity expert has called for all Australians to take responsibility to protect the country against foot and mouth disease and other biological threats.

Professor Andrew Robinson, the CEO of the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA), said everyone from governments to citizens have a responsibility to maintain Australia's biosecurity.

Australia's biosecurity system is a set of measures that prevent pests and diseases from entering Australia and threatening the environment, the economy and the health of people and animals.

Professor Robinson said biosecurity relies on "everyone making good decisions about what we choose to do when we want to bring in or import some goods or some plants".

"We need to ask ourselves, could this present a biosecurity risk? We don't have that instinct yet, we don't have the instinct that sets protecting our biosecurity status above self interest and that's where we need to get to," he said.

Professor Robinson said returning travellers, especially those returning from Indonesia, can bolster Australia's biosecurity by simply declaring items and cleaning their shoes.

"It's key for people to remember that if they declare to the department what they've brought, then there's no problem. There's no penalty, there's no threat, it may not be allowed in the country but there's no criminality," he said.

"For people who are willing to do the due diligence, the system is friendly."

While there have been calls for Australia to completely close its border with Indonesia amid its FMD outbreak, Professor Robinson said it would be "simplistic" and an "overreaction" to the current situation.

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"I think we should help Indonesia, to the extent that they welcome it, with resources. Those could include vaccines and assistance with surveillance. But Indonesia is a sovereign country with its own biosecurity system so we don't want to be pushing our noses where it won't be welcome," he said.

Although FMD is currently dominating headlines, Professor Robinson said biosecurity against multiple threats is a constant concern for Australia.

"The biosecurity system should not play favourites. The biosecurity system should protect, as best it can, the things it can protect," he said.

Another major biosecurity threat to Australia is bacteria known as Xylella fastidiosa, which can infect up to 350 plant species, many of which are native.

Known as Pierce's disease in grapes, it can kill grapevines by blocking the plant's water conducting system, which would cripple Australia's multi-billion dillar wine industry if left unchecked.

Other significant biosecurity threats to Australia include the brown marmorated stink bug, rabies, the varroa mite and African swine fever.