Member and Industry News A biosecurity sign of the times A simple sign on the farm gate has launched an education and assistance program to inform producers in the NSW Northern Tablelands on current biosecurity requirements, helping them to maximise their access to competitive markets. Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (LLS) has reached out to its producers with a raft of support to share awareness and meet modern expectations of an ever-expanding market. It began with an LLS-produced sign in 2015, an adaptation of the AHA design, to hang on the farm gate. The sign is a visible reminder that the producer is implementing farm biosecurity plan practices in their day-to-day operations and longterm planning, underpinning quality assurance. “Initially we wanted to provide the signs for front gates to indicate you did have a plan, and to remind people moving machinery or animals onto the farm to consider the farm’s biosecurity,” said Northern Tablelands LLS District Veterinarian Dr Andrew Biddle. The uptake was very positive, with an initial print run of 1,300 signs. As national biosecurity regulations have evolved, interest has grown again. 46 THE LINK AUT/WIN 18 Since early June 2017, 1,800 people have attended and participated in Northern Tablelands LLS workshops and events where farm biosecurity plan information was shared. As a result, the Northern Tablelands LLS received over 1,500 farm biosecurity planspecific counter enquiries and phone calls. Northern Tablelands LLS has a team of Biosecurity Officers and District Veterinarians to support producers as they translate their traditional biosecurity planning and record-keeping into contemporary templates which meet LPA requirements for farm biosecurity plans and JD assurance schemes. These are available from the Northern Tablelands LLS website and offices. The creation of a farm biosecurity plan supports sustainable practices and empowers producers to make informed and positive decisions. “Biosecurity planning includes understanding the pests, diseases and plant or animal health problems that do or don’t occur on a farm. For those not currently affecting the enterprise, the farm biosecurity plan can outline how to maintain this situation. For diseases that do occur in the herd or flock, the farm biosecurity plan can outline how to manage the disease,” said Dr Biddle. “Creating and implementing a comprehensive farm biosecurity plan is a blueprint to optimising District Vet Andrew Biddle, along with the Northern Tablelands LLS Biosecurity Team, distributed biosecurity farm gate signs to landholders as a tool to assist them with their farm biosecurity planning. Dr Andrew Biddle, Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Veterinarian animal health, as well as complying with the requirements to have a plan. “Anyone can sign a piece of paper, but it’s the understanding and ownership of the plan they are implementing that is important.” For more information about farm biosecurity plans contact the Biosecurity Team at Northern Tablelands Local Land Services on 02 6732 8800.
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