Labor is missing in action on the invasive Polyphagous Shot-Hole Borer (PSHB) outbreak in Perth, leaving Western Australia to confront one of the most serious biosecurity threats in decades alone.
PSHB poses a catastrophic risk to our urban tree canopy, national parks, sustainable forestry and timber industries and the nursery sector. All 30 metropolitan local government areas in Perth are now under quarantine. This pest attacks more than 100 tree species and spreads rapidly through urban environments, making early intervention critical.
“This pest is not just a WA problem, if PSHB spreads, it will devastate biodiversity across the eastern seaboard,” said Senator Ross Cadell, Shadow Minister for Fisheries and Forestry.
“Labor’s lack of action risks economic losses and irreversible environmental damage. We are calling on the government to act immediately,” he said.
Since the pest was first detected in Perth in 2021, industry experts, local governments and biosecurity specialists have consistently warned a coordinated national response would be essential. Yet Labor has been slow to provide the leadership, funding and national strategy required to contain a pest of this scale.
Senator Matt O’Sullivan, Shadow Assistant Minister for Fisheries and Forestry said; “Labor’s complacency is putting WA’s environment and economy at risk.”
“It’s time the Albanese Government stepped up and provided the resources and a coordinated response, before it’s too late. Otherwise, the consequences of their inaction will be felt not just in Western Australia but across the country.”