Is Australia doing enough to stop a foot and mouth disease outbreak?

For the past few months, there's been an outbreak in Indonesia with data showing more than 317,000 animals have been infected in 21 provinces with more than 3,400 animals culled. The outbreak has had a huge impact on sales in their livestock industry. That's what Australia is trying to avoid.

Agriculture Ministry officials give vaccination to a cow during a campaign to prevent the spread of a the highly infectious foot-and-mouth disease. Source: AP

A range of biosecurity measures have already been put into place to stop an outbreak, such as profiling travellers entering from Indonesia, and shoe cleaning.          

A biosecurity package worth $14 million was announced last week for more frontline defences in airports and mail centres.

Some of that money spent on special mats at international terminals in Darwin and Cairns, for passengers to walk over and sanitise their shoes. 

But Murray Watt says travellers are actually not so much the bigger concern - it's imports.

"There is a risk that it can be brought back in by a traveller on their shoes. But the advice I've received is that the biggest risk is actually the importation of animal products."

A few MPs have called for Australia's border to Indonesia to be temporarily closed to prevent any cases from Indonesia seeding here.

Opposition Home Affairs spokeswoman Karen Andrews has told Sky News that's a drastic step - but one that's warranted.

"This is not a softly, softly, gently, gently, approach. If it has to be a temporary measure, that would be great. But let's not run the risk of foot-and-mouth disease coming into Australia."

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