# Cat 5--no deaths. What did Australia do right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2006, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-5-no-deaths-what-did-australia-do-right/349271 "2006-03-21T12:35:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-5-no-deaths-what-did-australia-do-right/349271/41 "2006-03-22T15:48:35Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > Look at the bright side. There’s unlimited opportunity for you as an international banana smuggler. That’s right. Just slip the banans into a condom. Seal off the opening and then… ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-5-no-deaths-what-did-australia-do-right/349271/42 "2006-03-22T15:51:19Z")
Oops forgot to mention: I pay $.79/lb. for bananas normally. That would be closer to $2 US per kg. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-5-no-deaths-what-did-australia-do-right/349271/43 "2006-03-23T01:04:55Z")
Well, I’ve never seen a thread that went bananas so literally. But thanks for the answers to my questions. I’m glad that Katrina may have ended up saving lives, and, since the few deaths from Hurricane Rita were mostly from a bus fire during the evacuation, Australia was very lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Cerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Cerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerri)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-5-no-deaths-what-did-australia-do-right/349271/44 "2006-03-23T02:27:58Z")
> [@](#): > > By the way, if you’re so concerned about free trade, maybe you could get your own house in order first. Australian and New Zealand lamb producers have, for years, been trying to obtain free and open access to the US market, but have been constantly thwarted by the protection offered to US lamb growers in the form of direct subsidies and import quotas and tariffs. Which is why (I’m guessing), that although we Americans have cheap bananas, we pay through the nose for lamb. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-5-no-deaths-what-did-australia-do-right/349271/45 "2006-03-23T03:31:38Z")
There is debate about what’s quarrantine and what’s protection. I believe a banana study is being done, although it’s probably been overtaken by recent events. I also believe a study on another fruit was done but has not been made public for some reason. 😉 See [here](http://www.planthealthaustralia.com.au/our_projects/display_project.asp?category=2&ID=191) ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-5-no-deaths-what-did-australia-do-right/349271/46 "2006-03-23T13:11:51Z")
I live in Western Australia. Our state government takes quarantine very seriously - they are about to introduce the fearsome [Biosecurity and Agricultural Management Act.](http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/servlet/page?_pageid=449&_dad=portal30&_schema=PORTAL30&p_start_url=/pls/portal30/docs/FOLDER/IKMP/PW/BAMB_INFO.HTM) They also have little beagles at the airport. who sniff out the bags of incoming travellers for honey, bananas and other fresh produce. Cute little fellas. As for the cyclone, I spoke to a client in Queensland who lived on a hill 15 kms (she said) from the eye of the storm (and got some great photos). Her nearest neighbour is 3 kms away. So we’re not taling downtown New Orleans here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-5-no-deaths-what-did-australia-do-right/349271.md?page=2)