Blue tongue blow to northern WA exports

Written on the 17 July 2017

Pastoralists in northern WA already struggling under the burden of red tape have a new barrier to trade after the blue tongue virus exclusion zone was expanded to Broome Port.

Six additional Kimberley properties now fall within the zone, which runs across the top of the Northern Territory, Queensland and WA, after the virus was detected recently in the region's west.

The buffer zone previously ended 100km east of Broome but now includes the port town and stretches 140km south of it.

Although there has been no exports out of Broome in the past 12 months to countries which require cattle to have been held in a BTV-free zone for 60 days a list which includes China, Turkey and Israel the body representing Kimberley pastoralists is unhappy with what they see as loss of flexibility in accessing markets.

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Source: thewest.com.au