Overseas travellers continue to play Russian roulette with national farm export industries worth billions of dollars.
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The end of the pandemic also heralded the return of international travel which has heightened the risk of biosecurity incursions.
Australian livestock industries are already on high alert with devastating livestock diseases like foot and mouth and lump skin on our national doorstep.
On January 1, Australia increased penalties for biosecurity breaches in light of the threat to the risks to the nation's economy.
Quarantine officials have highlighted the ongoing risk with four recent dangerous airport finds.
Four passengers were hit with fines costing $22,000 across just five days trying to deliberately smuggle plant products despite the many biosecurity warnings.
On May 16, a passenger landing at Sydney International Airport from Sri Lanka allegedly tried to conceal fresh plant cuttings taped inside the base of their bag.
Their $5500 fine also included the discovery of bananas and flour.
That same day, another passenger travelling from the Philippines through Brisbane International Airport allegedly tried to conceal plant cuttings in packages mislabelled as seafoo,
Officials from the federal Agriculture Department said the cuttings were wrapped up in paper towel.
The haul included macadamia plant cuttings, cotton tree seeds, arrow root tuber and mango which had seeds present.
On May 18, a passenger landed at Tullamarine, Melbourne from Vietnam also allegedly trying to hide plant cuttings in a suitcase.
The cuttings were found inside a Botox box wrapped in tissue paper, department officials said.
Two days later on May 20 a fourth passenger, also travelling from Vietnam landed at Brisbane airport with nine plant cuttings allegedly hidden in an unopened foil bag labelled as tea.
The department's deputy secretary (biosecurity and compliance group, Dr Chris Locke said deliberate attempts to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws would result in strict penalties.
"The fact that people aren't declaring products and are intentionally trying to smuggle biosecurity risk material into Australia is completely unacceptable," he said.
"My message is clear, to avoid large penalties remember to check our biosecurity rules and answer all questions truthfully on your incoming passenger card.
"If you are unsure, always tick yes and if you know you cannot bring these items into the country - don't.
"Biosecurity officers are highly trained and skilled in uncovering hidden items through detailed inspections. All four concealments were intentionally hidden in creative ways, however our biosecurity officers conduct their inspections thoroughly and were able to find and seize these items," Dr Locke said.
Other than the risk to livestock industries from biosecurity breaches, live plant cuttings can introduce serious diseases like Xylella fastidiosa from a wide range of countries.
Xylella is Australia's most serious exotic plant disease risk and would have a serious impact on our grape and olive industries if it were to become established.
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
