A letter written by PA and sent to the Review:
On behalf of the 500 members of Permaculture Australia, we would like you to consider offering more time and a wider distribution of this proposal.
We are a member-based organisation of individuals and organisations who predominantly grow their own food organically. We are concerned that the proposal to treat major genera of Brassicaceae with fungicides on and off shore could adversely affect the potential for importation of rare and heirloom varieties.
Many of our member organisations and some member individuals are working with other seed savers around the world to preserve rare varieties by growing them to seed crop in a range of conditions (thus strengthening the growing conditions for the new/heirloom varieties).
We understand the risk of disease and are certainly not suggesting that it be taken less seriously. On the contrary, we would like to see a less ‘one size fits all’ and more targeted approach to the problem. Please can you allow more time and involve more organic producers in your study, so that we can help you develop policy that does not disenfranchise people who are attempting to improve the selection of Brassicaceae (and other Families as well!) available to producers in Australia.
Please seek further information and/or make your own submission at: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/risk-analysis/memos/ba2018-08
