Quarantine and Biosecurity Review

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Last updated: 12 Aug 2008

Quarantine and Biosecurity Review

On 19 February 2008, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon. Tony Burke MP announced a comprehensive, independent review of Australia’s quarantine and biosecurity systems.

The timely review, the first wide-ranging assessment of quarantine and biosecurity in this country for many years, includes, but is not limited to, the functions of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and Biosecurity Australia.

It is being undertaken by an independent panel of experts chaired by Roger Beale AO, a Senior Associate with the Allen Consulting Group. The panel’s other members are: Dr Jeff Fairbrother AM, Andrew Inglis AM and David Trebeck. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is providing the secretariat services.

Specifically, the review is considering issues such as:

  • animal and plant risk assessments
  • the targets for quarantine intervention
  • import inspections and certification
  • the mechanisms in place to respond to incursions
  • the roles of the Australian, state and territory governments, and the wider community, and their relationships with each other.

As well, the review’s terms of reference require the panel to make recommendations on the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of:

  1. current arrangements to achieve Australia’s very low, but not zero, ‘Appropriate Level of Protection’
  2. public communication, consultation and research and review processes
  3. resourcing levels and systems and their alignment with risk in delivering requisite services
  4. governance and institutional arrangements to deliver biosecurity, quarantine and export certification services.

Previous assessments of Australia’s quarantine and biosecurity arrangements, such as an independent review in 1995 chaired by Professor Malcolm Nairn, are also being considered.

Review Extended

On 31 March 2008, Minister Burke announced that the review will be extended by two months. The panel is now to deliver its report and recommendations to the Minister by 30 September 2008.