Dr LIM - 1999-10-20
The issue of food safety has been placed on a national agenda with the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority proposing new standards focusing on the production and handling of food. I understand that the minister will join other state and territory health ministers in reviewing these proposed changes later this week. Can he indicate what effects, if any, these proposed laws will mean to the Northern Territory - particularly to tourism operators?
ANSWER
Mr DUNHAM (Health, Family and Children’s Services): That is a good question, Mr Speaker. It goes to policy - something the opposition know very little about.
It is true that on Friday the food ministers, who are predominantly health ministers, from around the nation will meet in Canberra. Among a number of things on the agenda are proposed national food safety standards.
This is a very important issue. There are those who wish to know more about it, if only they could hear. A little silence would probably make things a bit easier.
Thousands of people get food poisoning every year. It is a very important issue for food handlers, food transporters and people who sell food. The proposed food standards are intended to be national standards so that food chains like McDonalds and others can go to one source document for their legislation.
I can inform the House that there is some concern about implementing a national code. Typically, here in the Territory we are very suspicious of national templates that try to fit the unique circumstances of this place into it. I have received some lobbying from the tourism industry, members of which are concerned about the ramifications in that industry, particularly for tourism products in the Territory such as bush tours with damper and outdoor cooking. They want to be assured that this won’t have significant cost ramifications for them.
On that basis, the Territory will not be supporting the national model on Friday. We already have in place a significant health inspectorial function in the Territory. That function is there to assure consumers that the cold chain and the food handling that exist can give them some confidence in the product they buy.
The Minister for Tourism and I have already done some consultations with the tourism industry and that will continue. We will make sure that the national food standards are well understood by those it affects prior to the Northern Territory being a signatory to this national code.
ANSWER
Mr DUNHAM (Health, Family and Children’s Services): That is a good question, Mr Speaker. It goes to policy - something the opposition know very little about.
It is true that on Friday the food ministers, who are predominantly health ministers, from around the nation will meet in Canberra. Among a number of things on the agenda are proposed national food safety standards.
This is a very important issue. There are those who wish to know more about it, if only they could hear. A little silence would probably make things a bit easier.
Thousands of people get food poisoning every year. It is a very important issue for food handlers, food transporters and people who sell food. The proposed food standards are intended to be national standards so that food chains like McDonalds and others can go to one source document for their legislation.
I can inform the House that there is some concern about implementing a national code. Typically, here in the Territory we are very suspicious of national templates that try to fit the unique circumstances of this place into it. I have received some lobbying from the tourism industry, members of which are concerned about the ramifications in that industry, particularly for tourism products in the Territory such as bush tours with damper and outdoor cooking. They want to be assured that this won’t have significant cost ramifications for them.
On that basis, the Territory will not be supporting the national model on Friday. We already have in place a significant health inspectorial function in the Territory. That function is there to assure consumers that the cold chain and the food handling that exist can give them some confidence in the product they buy.
The Minister for Tourism and I have already done some consultations with the tourism industry and that will continue. We will make sure that the national food standards are well understood by those it affects prior to the Northern Territory being a signatory to this national code.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016