00:01A tiny creature posing a risk to a record crop raising farmers concerns about the government
00:08response.
00:09My impression is probably too little too late.
00:12The state Labor government should have listened to its farmers back weeks ago when they were
00:17saying we need your help.
00:19Earlier in the year the state primary industries department declared aerial spraying in the
00:24Malley was too risky with potential impacts on crops, waterways and bees.
00:30Now it's decided targeted spraying near the Victorian border is needed following surveys
00:35of the region.
00:36Up until now we haven't seen any targets that would warrant spraying in that area.
00:40The Australian Plague Locust Commission says the spraying is the last opportunity to bring
00:45the pest under control before they take flight.
00:48A contingency for this area was always to rely on the Plague Locust Commission to undertake
00:53surveillance and if targeted sites could be arranged for spraying to undertake that work.
00:58So this has been a follow up from that.
00:59Farmers are now nervously preparing for harvest as swarming is expected to start next week.
01:05Whatever spraying we can do now to reduce the numbers, it would be better for the next place
01:10where they do go to.
01:11After we've gone through this response program there does need to be a review to look at aerial
01:16spraying generally when it comes to knocking out locusts and whether the decisions here were
01:22correct or not.
