1
00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,680
Speaker 1: Got an email now from Perfection Fresh. Spoke with Frank

2
00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:08,880
Speaker 1: Bangalo earlier Perfection Fresh Fresh Australia, saying they're devastated to

3
00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,360
Speaker 1: announce the forced loss of a significant number of jobs

4
00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,800
Speaker 1: following the government's decision to lock down tomato production at

5
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,200
Speaker 1: the company's Too Well operation north of Adelaide as part

6
00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,040
Speaker 1: of the response to the tomato brown Rugos fruit virus.

7
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:29,040
Speaker 1: According to Frank Earlier, six hundred jobs have been lost

8
00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,279
Speaker 1: at Perfection Fresh. He told us this just over an

9
00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:37,720
Speaker 1: hour ago, the announcement made virtually simultaneously at the factory

10
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,479
Speaker 1: there the workplace at Perfection Fresh. This is not good news.

11
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,920
Speaker 1: We put in a call to the Primaries Industry Minister

12
00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,600
Speaker 1: and we have clears driven on the phone. Minister, good morning,

13
00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,320
Speaker 1: good morning. What is the government going to do here?

14
00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:53,840
Speaker 1: Is there compensation for the company for the workers.

15
00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:56,560
Speaker 2: So there's two things that were particularly focused on at

16
00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,560
Speaker 2: the moment. The first is just to recap virus that

17
00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,440
Speaker 2: we haven't had in Australia before. So it's been detected

18
00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,080
Speaker 2: here in South Australia at free properties and at the

19
00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,640
Speaker 2: moment there's no evidence suggest to suggest that it's gone

20
00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,720
Speaker 2: any further. So that's why Further has needed to put

21
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,240
Speaker 2: in place to these quarantine requirements and close down their

22
00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,880
Speaker 2: tomato productions that perfection fresh. Now, the second things that

23
00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,360
Speaker 2: we're focused on is supporting all of the workers who

24
00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,840
Speaker 2: might be affected by this. So the numbers we've been

25
00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:26,680
Speaker 2: given are up to five hundred, remembering that there will

26
00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:28,800
Speaker 2: be some workers who will still be able to continue

27
00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,000
Speaker 2: at the plant as they get pull out vines and

28
00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,600
Speaker 2: do the other sorts of clean up work. So we

29
00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:38,080
Speaker 2: put in place a support hub, a workforce assistance hub,

30
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,880
Speaker 2: which will be operational from twelve o'clock to day and

31
00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,600
Speaker 2: that will be providing assistance from all the government agencies

32
00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,559
Speaker 2: that can help, as well as people like Redcroft brusing care,

33
00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:54,360
Speaker 2: financial wellbeing and assistance, particularly in regards to redeployment within

34
00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,360
Speaker 2: the industry or similar industries in the region. So we're

35
00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,640
Speaker 2: doing a lot in terms of supporting those works, but

36
00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,480
Speaker 2: equally we're doing a lot to ensure that this virus

37
00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,000
Speaker 2: isn't just allowed to let rip because of the impact

38
00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:08,840
Speaker 2: that would have on the rest of the industry in

39
00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:09,640
Speaker 2: South Australia.

40
00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,080
Speaker 1: Okay, so but there's no compensation, you support and whatever

41
00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,880
Speaker 1: people need to access welfare services, et cetera, but no

42
00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,239
Speaker 1: compowers such for the company or for those people.

43
00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,840
Speaker 2: So there are some national agreements that come into play

44
00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,560
Speaker 2: when there is an outbreak of a disease that affects

45
00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,639
Speaker 2: that hasn't been in the country before. So we're working

46
00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,239
Speaker 2: through that as well as through any other options that

47
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:35,720
Speaker 2: might be available. But at the moment, our focus has

48
00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,399
Speaker 2: got to be protecting our industry overall here in South

49
00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,840
Speaker 2: Australia and ensuring that the virus doesn't spread to them

50
00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,960
Speaker 2: because if it does, that can reduce yield by up

51
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,119
Speaker 2: to seventy five percent. So that would have a very

52
00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:51,120
Speaker 2: long term impact on our industry. And what was more

53
00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,520
Speaker 2: likely to happen in the immediate term would be that

54
00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,079
Speaker 2: all of the other states would stop taking any of

55
00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,120
Speaker 2: outomatoes from South Australia at all, and so that would

56
00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:00,840
Speaker 2: potentially mean many more job losses.

57
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,360
Speaker 1: Ultimately, that's it. I suppose you don't want to have

58
00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:06,680
Speaker 1: any more across the industry. There's a lot of growers

59
00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,000
Speaker 1: out there though we last time we spoke last week,

60
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,239
Speaker 1: you were waiting on test results further testing. Have those

61
00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:13,360
Speaker 1: results come through yet?

62
00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,560
Speaker 2: So we've had more than two and a half thousand

63
00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:21,040
Speaker 2: tests come back. There's some that are outstanding, but all

64
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,799
Speaker 2: of those so far has been negative or still need

65
00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,840
Speaker 2: further analysis. So we've been able to advise a number

66
00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,720
Speaker 2: of goals that they are free of the disease, and

67
00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:31,240
Speaker 2: we hope to be able to do more of that

68
00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:32,200
Speaker 2: in the very near future.

69
00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:37,440
Speaker 1: So okay, at this stage, only Perfection Fresh has the

70
00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,800
Speaker 1: virus been detected elsewhere as.

71
00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,480
Speaker 2: In elsewhere around the country.

72
00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:44,760
Speaker 1: Elsewhere in other farms in the area.

73
00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,240
Speaker 2: Right, So there's only three properties which has remained the same.

74
00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,280
Speaker 2: So Perfection Cressure is the biggest one, and that's the

75
00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,920
Speaker 2: one that is Deamuner producer, but there's also one small

76
00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,000
Speaker 2: one and a and A seed producer.

77
00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:58,080
Speaker 1: Have they been closed down as well?

78
00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,040
Speaker 2: They have also got crime hang on them, that's right.

79
00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,320
Speaker 1: All right, So and that means nothing can come in

80
00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,200
Speaker 1: and out. You don't want people going in there either

81
00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,720
Speaker 1: in case they take the virus out with them presumably.

82
00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,800
Speaker 2: Look, Perfection Fresh has been very very good with their

83
00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,200
Speaker 2: biosecurity measures. When I visited them at that fortnight ago,

84
00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,640
Speaker 2: it was it was definitely full on as it should be,

85
00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,120
Speaker 2: and I think they have got a good trait recording

86
00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,880
Speaker 2: this so their che tunder side of their business is

87
00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,560
Speaker 2: able to continue. Those glasshouses are not considered to be

88
00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,560
Speaker 2: infected these Cucumber is not a host for this particular virus,

89
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,479
Speaker 2: so this virus can affect Chileese capsicums and tomatoes, but

90
00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,279
Speaker 2: not other fruits and vegetables.

91
00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,599
Speaker 1: You would have been talking with Michael Simonetta at the

92
00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,120
Speaker 1: CEO of Perfection Fresh and in his statement today he says,

93
00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:47,000
Speaker 1: you know, we recognize the pressure. We appreciate the state

94
00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:51,359
Speaker 1: government's efforts to contain the virus, but we believe the

95
00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,520
Speaker 1: lockdown of our operations entirely unnecessary as the virus has

96
00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,080
Speaker 1: been successfully contained. Are we overreaching here, minister?

97
00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,000
Speaker 2: Look, I think what we need to look at is

98
00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,120
Speaker 2: if the rest of the country stops taking all of

99
00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:10,159
Speaker 2: our tomatoes, that's an incredibly big impact on the growing

100
00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,440
Speaker 2: industry and the horticulture industry here in South Australia. And

101
00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:15,799
Speaker 2: the chances they would do that if we if further

102
00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,600
Speaker 2: hadn't taken the action that they have taken is very

103
00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,640
Speaker 2: very high. So that's why it needs to be done.

104
00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,920
Speaker 2: It is very unfortunate, absolutely recognize that for the company

105
00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,360
Speaker 2: and especially for the workers who are impacted. But the

106
00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,880
Speaker 2: potential if we don't do this, if Presa didn't lock down,

107
00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,640
Speaker 2: the premises would be far, far worse.

108
00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:39,719
Speaker 1: How long will the lockdown be in place for?

109
00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,560
Speaker 2: Look, that's one of the frustrations that I can certainly

110
00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,440
Speaker 2: understand the company feeling. Because this is a new disease

111
00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,880
Speaker 2: to Australia, we don't have the sorts of national protocols

112
00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,200
Speaker 2: in place that would normally affecting another disease that we've

113
00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,760
Speaker 2: had for a long time. So we have been pressuring

114
00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:02,320
Speaker 2: the National Technical Committee to consider a draft protocol and

115
00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,239
Speaker 2: it sounds a little bit bureaucratic, but the protocol sets

116
00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,520
Speaker 2: out what sort of things need to be done to

117
00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,760
Speaker 2: prove freedom from this disease. So we are pressuring them

118
00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,240
Speaker 2: to work on that as quickly as possible. There's already

119
00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,200
Speaker 2: been work on it over recent weeks and once that

120
00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,160
Speaker 2: occurs then we will know. At this stage, unfortunately, there

121
00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:21,960
Speaker 2: isn't a specific timeline that can be.

122
00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:26,080
Speaker 1: Put on it, so you'd be hoping we're at the

123
00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,360
Speaker 1: end of September pretty much. You'd be hoping by the

124
00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:29,320
Speaker 1: end of October.

125
00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:32,640
Speaker 2: Look, we would be hoping as soon as possible, but

126
00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:36,040
Speaker 2: because it's a new disease to Australia. We're not able

127
00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,160
Speaker 2: to put that sort of timeline on it. It is

128
00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,400
Speaker 2: quite possible that it will be beyond that, which is

129
00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,760
Speaker 2: unfortunately given in the Harvard season, but until we have

130
00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,200
Speaker 2: that back from the National Technical Committee, we really can't

131
00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,320
Speaker 2: put a time frame on it.

132
00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:54,960
Speaker 1: Are not bureaucrats now getting in the way of people

133
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,360
Speaker 1: earning a living. I mean, you know, it's all very

134
00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:59,760
Speaker 1: well to put COVID type restrictions on it, but not

135
00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,560
Speaker 1: to be able to say, look, it all last for

136
00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:07,640
Speaker 1: four weeks, for instance, which doesn't seem unreasonable that people

137
00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,080
Speaker 1: can't plan for the end of the year for Christmas

138
00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,080
Speaker 1: coming up that we're obviously coming into also the busiest

139
00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,120
Speaker 1: time for tomatoes as they ripen in the warmer months,

140
00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,320
Speaker 1: and the problems that'll have for the industry, including the

141
00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:22,880
Speaker 1: seasonal workers who'd be working there and the other farms

142
00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,160
Speaker 1: affected as well in the industry at Perfection Fresh and elsewhere.

143
00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,160
Speaker 1: So the five hundred today five to six hundred ends

144
00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,640
Speaker 1: up being double that over the busy months, and you know,

145
00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:34,960
Speaker 1: we're all very well to look at COVID and how

146
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,200
Speaker 1: we manage that, whether we think that was successful or not.

147
00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,880
Speaker 1: But that's what it almost feels like we're doing here

148
00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:42,000
Speaker 1: to the tomato industry.

149
00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:44,840
Speaker 2: Well, remember though, that this is just at the three

150
00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:48,280
Speaker 2: premises at this stage. If this had been detected across

151
00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:50,920
Speaker 2: our entire tomato industry, then the approach would be different

152
00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:52,200
Speaker 2: and we'd be able to go to what's called a

153
00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,040
Speaker 2: management approach, but that's not where we're at. So we've

154
00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:58,760
Speaker 2: got this opportunity to eradicate. We have evidence at this

155
00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,120
Speaker 2: stage that it's only these three properties, so I think

156
00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:04,440
Speaker 2: all of the industry would prefer that we don't have

157
00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,360
Speaker 2: this disease in Australia, and so if we're able to

158
00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,800
Speaker 2: eradicate it, that's going to be best in terms of

159
00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,480
Speaker 2: the industry, which is worth over one point one billion

160
00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:15,720
Speaker 2: dollars as a farm gate value to our state.

161
00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,360
Speaker 1: But Perfection Fresh it's the biggest of those and as

162
00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:21,840
Speaker 1: I understand it, the biggest producer in the Southern Hemisphere

163
00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,640
Speaker 1: of tomatoes, so it's going to have a significant impact nonetheless,

164
00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:28,640
Speaker 1: both for consumers and the industry overall.

165
00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,880
Speaker 2: That impact we want to lessen as much as possible,

166
00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:35,040
Speaker 2: but the alternative is that we have a much greater

167
00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,160
Speaker 2: impact on the entire industry. Going forward.

168
00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:40,520
Speaker 1: All right, minister, thank you for your time this morning.

169
00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:42,440
Speaker 1: I understand you're holding a media conference in a few

170
00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:45,120
Speaker 1: minutes time regarding this and some of the things you've

171
00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,199
Speaker 1: spoken about there. Appreciate you coming on.

172
00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:48,840
Speaker 2: Thanks very much, Matthia.

173
00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:52,640
Speaker 1: By back, Clais Gribbin, Primary Industries Minister. The Shadow Primary

174
00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:56,000
Speaker 1: Industries Minister Nicholas and Fandi is called in Shadow Minister.

175
00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,920
Speaker 3: Good morning, Good morning, Matthew, Thank you for having me.

176
00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,120
Speaker 1: Anything else the government should be doing well.

177
00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,319
Speaker 3: Look, Matthew, I think it needs to be stated quite.

178
00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,000
Speaker 4: Clearly that under Section fifty of the Plant's Health Act,

179
00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:14,840
Speaker 4: the Minister absolutely has ministerial discretion to pay compensation to

180
00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:18,600
Speaker 4: any person or business who has suffered damage or loss

181
00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,920
Speaker 4: as a direct consequence of a notice or order made

182
00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:24,600
Speaker 4: by the Government in relation to text affective plants and

183
00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:29,920
Speaker 4: plant related products. So absolutely the Minister needs to be

184
00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,920
Speaker 4: doing more. The South Australian government, the Premier and the

185
00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:37,640
Speaker 4: Minister do have the power. She has ministerial powers to

186
00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,880
Speaker 4: provide compensation and she has the power to save these

187
00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:46,960
Speaker 4: five hundred jobs that are currently at risk. So we're

188
00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,640
Speaker 4: calling on the Premier and the Minister to use that

189
00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:55,040
Speaker 4: ministerial discretion in this instance. You know that they have

190
00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,640
Speaker 4: the power to provide certainty for this business, which is

191
00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:02,840
Speaker 4: a huge employer for our and a huge contributor to

192
00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:06,679
Speaker 4: the economy of South Australia. And so you know, the

193
00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:10,720
Speaker 4: power is in the Minister's hands. She just miss the will.

194
00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,120
Speaker 1: The frustrating part, I imagine is not knowing when this

195
00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,240
Speaker 1: will end and for perfection fresh in the other companies,

196
00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,840
Speaker 1: certainly for all the workers involved. I mean, they can't

197
00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,959
Speaker 1: at this stage, you know, almost October. They can't plan

198
00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,120
Speaker 1: for the rest of the year, for potential breakover Christmas,

199
00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:32,080
Speaker 1: New Year, a good happy Christmas, all the rest of it.

200
00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:38,000
Speaker 3: Absolutely, you know, the uncertainty that it's not just the business,

201
00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,160
Speaker 3: it's the work is in that business. The uncertainty that

202
00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:44,720
Speaker 3: this business and those worses are going through, you know,

203
00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,319
Speaker 3: and I'd like to ask the question, what is the

204
00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,839
Speaker 3: ister doing to support the mental health of these individuals,

205
00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,679
Speaker 3: not just those who are stilling the business, but those

206
00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,840
Speaker 3: who have lost their jobs. This is going to have

207
00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:00,600
Speaker 3: a huge impact on the state. And again think the

208
00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:05,840
Speaker 3: Minister has the powers, she has discretionary discretionary powers to

209
00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:11,840
Speaker 3: be able to provide compensation to these businesses. To save

210
00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:13,920
Speaker 3: these five hundred plust jobs and I think she.

211
00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:17,200
Speaker 1: Needs to be doing that all right, Shadow Minister, appreciate

212
00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:21,320
Speaker 1: your time, thanks for having me. Nicholas Sena Fante, Shadow

213
00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:22,800
Speaker 1: Primary Industries Minister,