The sound of gunshots ringing out across the night, killing every single animal on his family's farm near Legana in northern Tasmania, sticks in the mind of Chris Antypas.
The farm became national ground zero for foot and mouth disease in October 1979, leading to export bans on Australian meat.
The suspected outbreak ended up being a false alarm.
But for Mr Antypas, who was only a child when it happened, the seriousness of the current national foot and mouth risk is not lost.
A national and international scare in Tasmania
More than 600 of his family's pigs and up to 50 cows were slaughtered overnight.
"There was a mass of vehicles all over the farm, the place had been taken over by people in white suits, the SES were everywhere," Mr Antypas said.
"Military marksman machine-gunned pigs all night. They chased cattle into pits. It was pretty horrific," he said.
"The next morning we woke up to national media out the front."
Mr Antypas said the event ruined his family's livelihood, impacted farms in the surrounding area and led to international export bans on Australian meat.
He said greater understanding about the "end-game" risks to farmers if foot and mouth were to enter Australia is needed.
"A little farm at Legana became the centre of Australia's media attention," he said.
"The impact that it had on the economy back then, even after a false alarm, was huge.
"If we got a case of foot and mouth it could destroy agriculture in this country overnight."
Farmers told not to panic
Tasmania Farmers and Graziers Association president Ian Sauer said the disease was a serious issue that could have huge ramifications for industry if it entered the state, but his message to farmers and community was not to panic.
"Farmers need to get prepared with their biosecurity plans, the general community have to be seriously careful when they go overseas, and hopefully, Indonesia can get on top of the issue relatively quickly," Mr Sauer said.
"We must remember, everyone is in this together. Everyone has a role to play," he said.
"It's not necessarily the farmers that are going to be bringing foot and mouth into Australia, it's probably going to be a traveller coming home, or illegally bringing meat products in.
"If you are going over to Indonesia, going to Bali, make sure your clothes and boots are squeaky clean. Don't bring animal products into Australia."
READ MORE:
Mr Sauer said the TFGA was confident in the federal and state governments' responses to prevent and prepare for the possibility of the disease entering Australia.
He said farmers needed to do everything they could now to prepare for the risk.
"At the moment the risk isn't high but the ramifications are," Mr Sauer said.
"We are saying to farmers that you need to have your biosecurity plans in place now. God forbid if foot and mouth does hit Australia and gets to Tasmania, but you are going to be well behind the eight-ball if you haven't thought about your biosecurity plans and how you are going to manage your farm," he said.
"Think about it, read our information packs, get prepared and if something does happen, you will be on the front foot."
