7 minute read
State of Play - Gurmesh Singh
by Focus
STATE OF PLAY
with
COFFS HARBOUR MP GURMESH SINGH
The vulnerability of our food supply is under threat with two serious biosecurity issues. The first relates to Varroa mite and honey bees. One in every three bites of food we eat are of foods that need to be pollinated by insects, primarily honey bees.
Varroa mites are the most serious pest of honey bees worldwide and infect bees in every major beekeeping area of the world except Australia. Left untreated, a Varroa mite infestation will kill a bee colony and all wild and untreated colonies will eventually die off. This means that beekeepers will need to very carefully manage their hives to detect and treat mites. The most significant impact could be the death of all untreated honey bee colonies across the landscape. This will seriously reduce the positive impact of honey bees in the environment of pollinating a range of horticultural, broadacre crop and pastoral plants. The value of honey bees as pollinators is extremely important and without honey bees the range of food products will dramatically diminish. There is a significant cost involved in Varroa management and it’s in everyone’s interests to eradicate the mites and stop their spread. A few months ago, Varroa mites were detected in the sentinel hives near the Port of Newcastle resulting in biosecurity measures being put into place. This meant that some parts of the state were locked down for hive movements, and infected hives have been euthanised along with surrounding hives. (Sentinel hives are closely monitored honey bee colonies used for early detection of diseases and pests, including Varroa mite.) This incursion has resulted in a very stressful period for local beekeepers and for the farmers who rely on them. The other biosecurity issue we are facing is foot-andmouth disease (FMD). FMD is a very serious and highly contagious viral disease of animals that affects cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, buffalo, camels, sheep, goats, deer, and pigs. An FMD incursion could have a generational impact to our farmers and our food supply with some estimates putting the losses at $80 billion as well as many farmers walking off the land for good. Right now, our returning travellers have a makeor-break role to play in making sure FMD stays out of our country and that our livestock industry remains protected. The message to travellers is simple: if you’re heading to Bali or somewhere that may have been affected by FMD for a holiday – or know someone who is – please do the right thing when you return to Australia. That means declaring where you’ve been, making sure any clothes and shoes you bring in are clean and free from soil and manure, avoiding encounters with livestock on your travels and staying away from farms or anywhere there might be livestock for seven days when you get home.
Being an island nation has meant that Australia has a slightly easier job of enforcing biosecurity protocols, but it’s up to all of us to ensure that those protocols are respected so our farmers and food producers are given every chance possible so they can continue to feed us efficiently, and affordably.
WELCOME DENTAL
Over the past few months Welcome Dental have been out and about in the school communities providing Oral Health Education to Preschool and primary school (K-2) aged children across the Coffs Coast. Erskine Dental Supplies in Macksville partnered with us to assist in this community project.
We have been so fortunate to be able to connect with 1064 young people since March! That means we have given out 1064 free toothbrushes and provided 1064 oral health messages filled with information on healthy foods and drinks, toothbrushing techniques and about the dentist and dental visits. The visits were interactive and informative, our Welcome Dental Tooth Fairies shared the message along with our Oral Health Therapist Susan Waldorf.
Our aim is to improve the oral health and wellbeing of children in the Mid North Coast region by integrating the importance of healthy oral habits into their daily routine. Oral Health is universally regarded as fundamental to overall health, wellbeing, and quality of life. A healthy mouth enables children to eat and speak without pain, discomfort, or embarrassment. Therefore, by teaching children early in life the importance of oral hygiene, healthy food options and regular routine visits to the dentist we are providing lifetime skills to ensure lower decay rates and better overall health.
At Welcome Dental we believe that early intervention gives children the best outcome for their overall health and wellbeing. We are excited to see that by completing these school visits, children are going home and talking to their parents about choosing healthy lunchbox options, they are understanding the importance of brushing morning and night, 2 minutes at a time and they are looking forward to their next dental visit (in some cases their first).
You can access information for children, tooth fairy letters and also write to the Welcome Dental Tooth Fairy by heading to our website www.welcomedental.com.au and if you want to book a oral health education visit, please call us on (02) 6655 5800. Welcome Dental – your locally owned dental clinic in Urunga!
We will turn your frown upside down.
We’ll turn that frown upside down.
Phone: (02) 6655 5800 Email: info@welcomedental.com.au Website: www.welcomedental.com.au Services. Late nights Open Saturdays Online bookings Orthodontic treatments Childrens therapist Bulk billing CDBS AirFlow Meet The Team. Dr Sharon Marinucci Dr Oleg Pushkarev Dr Claire Greer Wendy Summerill Jessica Cantrill Susan Waldorf
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