Mr KIELY - 2001-10-24
Minister, can you please inform the House of the developments of the new Coastal Plains Banana Quarantine Station? How will they assist the Northern Territory banana industry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. Indeed, the banana industry, in its fledging stages in the Northern Territory, has already reached the status of being our third largest horticultural industry, with $13m turnover a year. As members would probably be aware, the banana Panama disease, race 4, has been prevalent in plantations around the Northern Territory. It is certainly holding back the further development of banana production in the Northern Territory.
I am very pleased to inform the House today that the Northern Territory’s new Coastal Plains Banana Quarantine Station was opened in July and is now fully operational. We need a facility such as this to properly prove out plants before they are put into the ground here. Panama disease is a soil-borne disease specific to bananas. It can last in the soil for over 20 years once it infects the soil area. The fungus enters the roots of the plant and causes it to eventually wilt and die. It is spread by moving infected plant material, soil and water from the infected areas to uninfected areas. It is a disease that is devastating Cavendish plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia, and it is currently restricted to parts of five properties in the Darwin region. Strict quarantines are in place around those properties, but we need further action to prevent the spread.
The Northern Territory government spent $390 000 building this special high-security quarantine facility, and it is to be known as the Coastal Plains Banana Quarantine Station. It is a specifically constructed facility, and it is the first of the type in the world. It has been built to withstand a cyclone, it is surrounded by a 2 m high earth bund wall. The security of the site is further established by a 2 m high Cyclone chainmesh fence. The whole area is surrounded by a stockproof fence as well. We have very strict quarantine protocols in place.
I believe that this new infrastructure will guarantee that we can get over our present problems in banana growing and move that industry on into the future.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. Indeed, the banana industry, in its fledging stages in the Northern Territory, has already reached the status of being our third largest horticultural industry, with $13m turnover a year. As members would probably be aware, the banana Panama disease, race 4, has been prevalent in plantations around the Northern Territory. It is certainly holding back the further development of banana production in the Northern Territory.
I am very pleased to inform the House today that the Northern Territory’s new Coastal Plains Banana Quarantine Station was opened in July and is now fully operational. We need a facility such as this to properly prove out plants before they are put into the ground here. Panama disease is a soil-borne disease specific to bananas. It can last in the soil for over 20 years once it infects the soil area. The fungus enters the roots of the plant and causes it to eventually wilt and die. It is spread by moving infected plant material, soil and water from the infected areas to uninfected areas. It is a disease that is devastating Cavendish plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia, and it is currently restricted to parts of five properties in the Darwin region. Strict quarantines are in place around those properties, but we need further action to prevent the spread.
The Northern Territory government spent $390 000 building this special high-security quarantine facility, and it is to be known as the Coastal Plains Banana Quarantine Station. It is a specifically constructed facility, and it is the first of the type in the world. It has been built to withstand a cyclone, it is surrounded by a 2 m high earth bund wall. The security of the site is further established by a 2 m high Cyclone chainmesh fence. The whole area is surrounded by a stockproof fence as well. We have very strict quarantine protocols in place.
I believe that this new infrastructure will guarantee that we can get over our present problems in banana growing and move that industry on into the future.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016