Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development grains biosecurity officer Jeff Russell said farmers should be proactive in liaising with visitors to ensure they were biosecurity aware and understood any requirements when entering the property.
“A great first step is placing signage at the property entrance that asks people to notify you before they enter the property," Mr Russell said.
“This shows visitors that you take biosecurity on your farm seriously.
“Having visitors call ahead means you can give them detailed instructions on where they can and can't go on your property.”
Mr Russell said other signs directing visitors to areas such as visitor parking bays, the office, delivery zones and the location of clean down facilities was also a good idea.
Vehicles, machinery, people, soil and plant material like stockfeed can all carry potentially damaging pests and diseases.
Limiting visitor vehicle access to the productive areas of a property, such as crop, pasture or seed bulk up paddocks, can help reduce the risk of pests and diseases entering and becoming established.
“Developing a biosecurity plan and implementing new biosecurity measures may take some long-term planning and investment,” Mr Russell said.
“However, reducing the likelihood of pests and diseases entering a property can save time and money spent controlling pests in the future, as well as safeguarding growers’ livelihoods.
“Growers should also evaluate the biosecurity risk of visiting vehicles or in the case of contractors, their machinery. This can be done by asking where and when the last job was, and when the vehicle or equipment was last cleaned.”
For more information about on-farm biosecurity in the grains industry, visit the grains farm biosecurity program website https://grainsbiosecurity.com.au/
