Information and correspondence on the black Sigatoka pest risk assessment

Black Sigatoka correspondence between Biosecurity Australia and the Australian Banana Growers’ Council

Biosecurity Australia has received additional information from the Australia Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) relating to Scenario B in the black Sigatoka risk assessment contained in the Revised Draft Import Risk Analysis Report for the Importation of Cavendish bananas from the Philippines. The information was provided following the close of the stakeholder consultation period on 29 June 2007.

Biosecurity Australia has been working with ABGC to clarify their issues and undertook to refer the additional information to the expert IRA team for their consideration. The IRA team agreed to consider the supplementary submission as part of the development of the final IRA report, in conjunction with other stakeholder comments in relation to the black Sigatoka pest risk analysis and in relation to all stakeholder comments. The IRA team noted that the comment provided in the ABGC supplementary submission could not be considered in isolation to other stakeholder comments.

The independent Eminent Scientists Group will review the final report to ensure that all stakeholder comments, including those contained in supplementary submissions, have been properly considered.

In the interests of transparency copies of the correspondence between Biosecurity Australia and the ABGC has been provided to all stakeholders.