In a rare show of unity, WAFarmers, the Pastoralists and Graziers Association and the Community and Public Sector Union said the Government had dropped its guard on biosecurity and agriculture in general.
There have been big staff cuts at the department in recent years with the number of full-time animal biosecurity staff down from 209 in 1989 to the current level of 84. The number of entomologists employed by the department has fallen from 15 in 2008 to nine and one of the positions is funded by Chevron and based on Barrow Island.
