Foot and mouth disease protest in Colac in south-west Victoria calls for travel ban

The rally attracted around 120 farmers, business people and community members.

Colac protest organiser and Alvie, Vic, dairy farmer Peter Delahunty said the Rally for a Response event was organised as a result of the increasing anxiety being felt in regional towns over the threat of FMD.

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"Farmers are feeling left out and isolated over the silence emanating from [governments], and firmly believe not enough action is being taken," he said.

"[The authorities] seem more concerned about upsetting Indonesia, than they do about protecting us."

He said organisers wanted to see a 120-day non-essential travel ban to and from Indonesia.

"Business and trade can still continue, with stringent biosecurity arrangements," he said.

He said the ban would help Australian officials work with Indonesia to bring the FMD outbreak back under control.

"The government has promised $14 million in money and in kind [to Indonesia] but when you compare that to the $80 million loss that could happen to our trade, we feel that is not that much," he said.

READ MORE: Swill feed warning over FMD threat.

Mr Delahunty, who runs a herd of about 300 cattle, thought the government should be investing closer to $100 million to help Indonesia battle the disease.

He believed the government's response had been reactionary, rather than well-planned out.

"For example, [Federal Agriculture] Minister [Murray Watt] said he didn't think it was necessary to have foot baths, now he is saying we are going to have foot baths," he said.

He said he was not just talking about politicians, but also the leadership of the agricultural sector.

"When we hear them talk about border closures, they immediately say 'we can't do that, because we can't upset our trade with Indonesia'," he said.

"When I talk to my fellow farmers, and say to them about border closures, they say they want it.

"They want to protect our industry, which we have built up for generations, our communities and the businesses in our towns."

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Mr Delahunty said it was not a criticism of Indonesia, rather the travel ban would allow for breathing space for that country's authorities needed to get on top of the outbreak.

"It's too late once foot and mouth is here," he said.

Mr Delahunty said the ban would allow authorities to help Indonesia and get protocols right at airports and points of entry.

"It's not just the airports, it's anywhere where anyone, or anything, that comes into the country, it's our post-offices and parcels and packages," he said.

Beeac, Vic, dairy farm worker Lewis Bayne said he was concerned he would lose his job if FMD came into Australia.

"The government's response is not good enough, they should have shut the borders when it first came out," Mr Bayne said.

Fellow farm worker Brendan McKenzie said he was also concerned about the impact on the dairy industry.

"More action needs to be taken," Mr McKenzie said.

Yeodene, Vic, beef producer and water carter Andrew Arundell said there was a greater need for recognition and rectification of the problem.

"We have had 12 weeks of foreign enjoyment, by tourists coming and going, we have had no protocols put in place," Mr Arundell said.

"If it was me I would have charged everyone an extra $5000 a head and put them in isolation for 10 days, not seven, and then allowed them back in.

"Let people pay for the cost of the risk - we can't afford to pay for the cost of tens of billions of dollars a year, which might last for 50 years because of our massive, uncontrollable feral pest problem."

He said there was a huge risk from FMD.

"Overnight, all product from Australia could be labelled as FMD affected, and that on-flow effect to us is massive," he said.

"If Bali wasn't clear and clean, I wouldn't be upset, but I am aware of how many people do things, and they don't keep and eye on their clothing and there are lot of rural people who go and come back, and that worries me as well."

He said he didn't think government authorities had much awareness.

"I've been selling cattle early, because I figure I might be wiser to sell them early, the dollars a head, rather than having to bury them in a pit," he said.

Liberal MP for Polwarth Richard Riordan said new state Agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney needed to get "up to speed" with her portfolio.

As home to lamb processor the Australian Lamb Company and Bulla Dairy Foods, Mr Riordan said the region was an "extraordinary" contributor to the national economy.

Ms Tierney said the government was working "hand-in-glove" with federal authorities to keep Australia FMD free.

A spokeswoman for federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the federal government had introduced the toughest biosecurity measures ever used in Australia, including never-before-used measures like foot mats and Biosecurity Response Zones at airports.

"We have rolled out layered defences, including risk assessments on 100% of passengers returning from Indonesia, increased questioning and bag checks at airports and screening of every piece of mail coming from Indonesia and China through mail centres," the spokeswoman said.

"This is on top of other measures previously announced, including one million vaccines to help Indonesia's outbreak, and a $14M biosecurity package to bolster Australia's frontline defence and provide more technical support for countries currently battling FMD and lumpy skin disease (LSD)."

The advice the Government had received is that a border closure was not currently required, and would damage the $7.9 billion dollar a year trade relationship with Indonesia, and impact farmers' income.