Election promises trouble for NZ apples

By LIAM DANN and AGENCIES


An Australian Government election promise that will further delay New Zealand apple imports across the Tasman has outraged local growers.

Pipfruit New Zealand chairman Phil Alison yesterday described the promise as "unbelievably frustrating".

He said growers had lobbied long and hard for an 83-year ban on New Zealand apples - because of the fireblight disease - to be reconsidered by the Australian Government.

The promise, made by Australian Agriculture Minister Warren Truss, was "not right and not fair" and could result in a call to the New Zealand Government to take action.

The New Zealand industry had invested countless hours and considerable sums of money taking part in the review process over the past year, Alison said. A World Trade Organisation ruling last year forced Australian officials to review the ban. After a long and costly consultation process the prospects of it being lifted looked good.

But the Australian Government has bowed to industry pressure and promised to overhaul the way quarantine decisions are made. That promise effectively stalls the application to import New Zealand apples.

Truss said the nation's quarantine watchdog, Biosecurity Australia, would be set up as a "proscribed institution" separate from Government.

A key part of the proposed overhaul of biosecurity would require all import risk assessments now under consideration to be put out again for public comment.

That would effectively put New Zealand's proposal to export apples to Australia back to square one.

If the Australians refuse to lift the ban then the New Zealand Government has the option of appealing to the WTO, which has already ruled that fireblight bans are not scientifically valid.

An official speaking for Trade Minister Jim Sutton said it was not appropriate to comment on election promises that might or might not eventuate.

The proposal to lift the ban had raised fears among Australian apple and pear growers that New Zealand fruit flooding the market would bring in fireblight.