05 Jul 2004

New Zealand Apples

For the last 84 years Australia has blocked New Zealand apples from being imported into Australia claiming that the imports would spread a tree disease known as fireblight. This is in face of the fact of and 19 years of lobbying by New Zealand for access and in the past two years the World Trade Organisation has accepted science proving the fruit cannot carry the blight bacteria.

After talks with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in Queensland, Goff said that a long-awaited import risk analysis by Biosecurity Australia on New Zealand apples would be released in weeks rather than months. Nonetheless the Government has indicated that if there be further unjustifiable delay, New Zealand is prepared to take the matter through the World Trade Organisation disputes process. Nonetheless Australia has promised a decision within weeks on whether it will accept New Zealand apples that will be based on science. Read the Article

Nearly 600 orchardists rallied in Parliament's grounds last month in protest against Australians stance on New Zealand apples. Protesters said the Government had not done enough and its move to simply list the trans-tasman apple dispute with a committee of the World Trade Organisation was insufficient.

Maori organisation, such as Wakatu Horticulture currently exports kiwifruit, apples and pears and in support of the protest the Federation of Maori Authorities very own Paul Morgan was marching alongside fellow fruit growers Read the Article