'Bonfires of burning animals': NSW dairy farmers warn of foot and mouth disease outbreak
NSW Southern Highlands dairy farmer Bill Smillie paints an apocalyptic picture of what a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak really looks like.
"You would be driving along roads and there were just bonfires of burning animals," he said.
"It was a pretty ordinary time to be over there. It was incredible to be honest."
The owner of Moss Vale, NSW, Highland Organics was working in the United Kingdom during an outbreak of the disease in 2001 and said it 'decimated' the livestock industry.
"It decimated parts of the country, everything had to be slaughtered," he explained to the Southern Highland News.
"My cousin's farm, he actually didn't have FMD but the farm two farms away had it so they had to slaughter every animal on his place."
FMD affects hoofed animals such as cows, pigs and sheep, giving them lesions on their mouths and feet that can prevent them from eating and can lead to lameness and death.
It's currently infecting animals on Indonesian farms and authorities are concerned it will make its way to Australia. One of the ways it can enter the country is via dirt on people's clothes and shoes.
On Monday (July 25) federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt asked state counterparts for their opinions on a National Biosecurity Strategy.
It follows the recent varroa mite outbreak in NSW, a parasite deadly to European honey bees which make up the bulk of Australia's honey industry.
Hives near the detection site at Port of Newcastle have been destroyed and it is feared further detection of FMD will lead to similar measures for livestock.
Fellow dairy farmer Tim Cochrane called for people returning from places like Bali to burn their thongs so he wouldn't have to burn his cows.
"I'm telling people to burn their thongs, not our cows," Mr Cochrane told the South Coast Register.
"You can easily bring the disease into our country on infected soil trapped on your shoes."
Mr Cochrane and his two brothers own approximately 2000 cows. He issued a dire warning for what an FMD outbreak would do to the region.
"Think of this, 20,000 cows in the Shoalhaven all dead," Mr Cochrane said.
"I say 20,000 because if one cow or farm gets infected in Nowra, they will have to deal with every cow in Nowra.
"You think things are expensive now? If this happens and it gets in, cattle will have to be killed and the price of beef, milk, these essentials will sky rocket."
As for Mr Smillie, he's optimistic authorities are on high alert but warned against complacency.
"You would hope no one is going to be taken by surprise, especially the authorities," he said.
"They must know the danger and I certainly hope they're putting in place all the protocols.
"Hopefully the general population is well aware of what can happen. If you're travelling, be responsible, take it seriously."