Is the next step bringing bone in beef from the UK or meat from known Foot and Mouth countries.

We have a disease free status in global trade now but heck, why not keep everyone happy and go down the gurgler by bringing in everything from anywhere? Who needs a primary industry anyway?

Mr Howard you must protect all our primary industries, you actually do need us, so rein your departmental idiots in and give us a go.

We have done everything to keep our industries clean yet your boffins want everything equal; everyone to be friends. It won't work and Australia as a whole will suffer.

To eliminate the risk of being responsible for importing a new disease, I sterilise all seed I import. I'll bet that not all other forestry nurserymen do the same. It seems to me that ALL biosecurity protocols need tightening.

Of course it is the stupid adoration of 'the market' to make decisions.

This a disaster for trade and the government must intervene.

Congratulations to Lucy Skuthorp for covering the topic well.

Pat Healy, Hamilton, Vic.

It is disappointing that a person in his position is selling out the Australian growers and for what benefit?

Obviously low risk to Mr McGauran means he has no money, infrastructure or livihood dependant on this industry.

Why take such a defiant approach to the subject when evidence is stacking up against this decision.

Don't be the Government that could have prevented this disaster.

Be the Government that saves us from this blight.

Australia and Australians, and Australian politicians, need Australian industry.

The government and bureaucracy is trading off the future of our primary industries in return for illusory gains in global trade.

The comment by Burns of DAFF that two thirds of our primary produce is exported is simply not true - the great majority of farm-gate produce is consumed within Australia.

If anyone who reads these boards had half a clue about Fire Blight, they would know that it thrives in more humid climates- unlike the climates that Australian apples are generally grown. The disease would have virtually zero impact if it arrived.

And that is assuming is arrives by overcoming the ridiculously low odds. First the spores acutally have to survive the screening and sanitisation process, and then make their way to an Australian orchard somehow. And I'm pretty sure Australian apple growers wont be buying NZ apples to dress their kitchen tables!

Australian apples growers need to pull their heads in and just accept that NZ growers have a comparative advantage because if this ends up with the WTO (as with USA vs Japan), NZ growers will be walking away with a win- make no mistake about it.

We expect our Governments to protect our interests as other countries appear to do.

We appear to be constantly fighting the Government and their agency Biosecurity instead of working together as Australians should.

Once fire blight is established in a country it has never, ever been eradicated!

BSA is finally on record as saying fire blight will be imported under this decision!

Australia's climate is much more suitable than New Zealand for fire blight to spread.

To stop the disease from killing my trees I will have to spray trees with antibiotics.

We have been working hard for twenty years reducing the use of chemicals, this will spell the end of the apple and pear industry in Australia.

To kill fire blight on the apples one has to soak them in industrial chlorine for God’s sake and even BSA has said that’s not 100% effective.

Government govern, don’t be afraid of NZ threats of WTO, we’re not!

It is disappointing that a person in his position is selling out the Australian growers and for what benefit?

Obviously low risk to Mr McGauran means he has no money, infrastructure or livelihood dependant on this industry.

If there is no risk, he should have no problem to cover the extra costs of the disease if it comes in from NZ on imported apples.

Sounds fair to me, as he seems to have said, “NO risk”.