First it was apples, but now New Zealand’s summerfruit industry is beginning to lose patience with Australia.
Growers of apricots, nectarines, peaches and plums have been trying to get access to Western Australia for eight years - and despite being regularly told access is imminent they are still waiting to see the import risk analysis that will set the rules.
Now, if the delay lasts a further six or seven weeks, the industry will miss its chance to send this season’s fruit, said Marie Dawkins, manager of Summerfruit New Zealand.
She said: "We're getting anxious. We know we will be required to set traps in our orchards for the Oriental fruit moth and we could go ahead, but Biosecurity Australia could want different heights or different density, or they could surprise us completely by slipping something nasty in."
However, Biosecurity Australia officials have told her they were working "really hard" on the issue. But South Australia and Tasmania had already gained access for their summerfruit and, under World Trade Organisation regulations, access conditions for New Zealand could not be different to those for their own industry.
"We know what they've asked those states to do, so when the New Zealand risk analysis comes out it should reflect that almost identically," Ms Dawkins told local media.
"You have to question what it is they're working really hard on. We don't know. They won't tell us. In an effort to mollify us, they have increased the number of people who are working hard on our risk analysis. But just what are they doing?"
A Biosecurity Australia spokesman said he expected the risk analysis to be completed "very soon". "We'll have a clearer view by the end of next week," he said.
