AgForce representatives Andrew Freeman, Oscar Pearse and Lindsay Krieg, central Queensland cattle producer Howard Smith and Darling Downs grain grower John Agnew and several delegates from Queensland Farmers Federation will front the hearings from 8.00-9.30am.

The Beale review is a direct result of last year’s Equine Influenza outbreak and will undertake a wide-ranging assessment of quarantine and biosecurity in Australia including the functions of quarantine regulatory bodies the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and Biosecurity Australia.

AgForce cattle policy director, Oscar Pearse, said AgForce’s written submission strongly supports quarantine and import protocols that guard against disease and pest incursions, at the same time as maximising export opportunities by maintaining market access.

"The current separation of Biosecurity Australia and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service was designed to give greater transparency between the operational activities carried out by AQIS and the protocols developed by BA, but AgForce now believes this separation has worsened the situation.

"The arrangements seem to have resulted in both agencies working in isolation from each other. As such, AgForce is requesting the Federal Government reconsiders the structural arrangements of these agencies.

"AgForce concerns about the existing framework were illustrated by the handling of the Brazilian beef import issue at Wagga Wagga, NSW, and the recent outbreak of Equine Influenza."

Mr Pearse said at the time of the breakdown in procedures within AQIS that lead to Brazilian beef being dumped as refuse 2004, the government believed the risk of an FMD outbreak from the import was extremely low but cattle producers were "justifiably outraged" by the lapse.

Mr Pearse said that not all AgForce’s concerns were directed at federal agencies, because the efficient and co-ordinated response plans of the State agencies were equally important.