Biosecurity Australia corporate governance overview

Corporate governance practices

Under the Financial Management and Accountability Act, the Chief Executive of Biosecurity Australia is responsible for the efficient, effective and ethical use of Australian Government resources. Two committees help the Chief Executive meet his responsibilities: the Biosecurity Australia Governance Committee and the Audit Committee.

Senior management committees and their roles

Biosecurity Australia Governance Committee

The Governance Committee supports the Chief Executive in leading and managing Biosecurity Australia. It comprises the Chief Executive (chair); two Principal Scientists (for animal biosecurity and plant biosecurity); the general managers of the Animal Biosecurity, Biosecurity Development and Communications, and Plant Biosecurity branches; and the Chief Finance Officer. The managers of the Animal and Plant Biosecurity secretariats attend as ex officio members. The committee held seven regular meetings in 2008–09 (see Table 27).

At 30 June 2009, the Biosecurity Australia Governance Committee members were:

Dr Colin Grant, Chief Executive (chair)
Colin Grant has been Chief Executive of Biosecurity Australia since 2 August 2008. He was previously Executive Director of the Bureau of Rural Sciences.

Dr Bill Roberts, Principal Scientist, Plant Biosecurity
Bill Roberts was formerly the Chief Plant Protection Officer. One of his previous positions in a range of organisations in Australia and overseas was Coordinator of the International Plant Protection Convention.

Dr Mike Nunn, Principal Scientist, Animal Biosecurity
Mike Nunn is a veterinary epidemiologist with Australian and international experience in the detection, reporting, diagnosis, control and eradication of emergency animal diseases. His particular interests are risk analysis and the ecology of emerging infectious diseases.

Ms Louise van Meurs, General Manager, Plant Biosecurity (until 12 February 2009)
Louise van Meurs has over 15 years experience in the operational and policy areas of the department. She held management positions in Biosecurity Australia and in AQIS, where she was responsible for AQIS’s airport, mail and plant program areas.

Dr Robyn Martin, General Manager, Animal Biosecurity
Robyn Martin has worked in the department for the past 11 years, first with AQIS and more recently with Biosecurity Australia. Her previous work was in veterinary research, state government agriculture departments and private veterinary practice.

Mr Bill Magee, General Manager, Plant Biosecurity (since 12 February 2009; previously General Manager, Biosecurity Development and Communications Branch)
Bill Magee has been with the department since 1985. Since 1999 he has been with Biosecurity Australia and the Product Integrity, Animal and Plant Health Division. Before that he worked on the plant quarantine and grain export programs in AQIS.

Mr Robert Gehrig, Chief Finance Officer (and, from 12 February 2009, General Manager, Biosecurity Development and Communications Branch)
Robert Gehrig has been Biosecurity Australia’s Chief Finance Officer since June 2007. He previously held a number of financial positions within the department. Robert is a member of the Society of Certified Practising Accountants (CPA Australia).

Mr Neil McWaters, Senior Manager, Plant Biosecurity
Neil McWaters has 13 years experience in the department—first with AQIS and most recently with Biosecurity Australia.

Mr Warren Vant, Senior Manager, Animal Biosecurity
Warren Vant has over 30 years policy and administrative experience in quarantine, agriculture and trade portfolios. This includes many years providing non‑technical support to the Animal Biosecurity Branch of Biosecurity Australia.

Biosecurity Australia internal audit function and Audit Committee

Biosecurity Australia continues to commission internal audits based on its risk management plan, and to consider the outcomes of relevant department-wide internal audits.

The Biosecurity Australia Audit Committee oversees financial reporting, the internal control structure, risk management, fraud control systems, and internal and external audit functions. It comprises the General Manager of the Biosecurity Development and Communications Branch (chair), the General Manager of Animal Biosecurity, and an external independent member.

Biosecurity Australia’s Chief Finance Officer, the department’s Chief Finance Officer and representatives of the department’s Internal Audit section and the Australian National Audit Office attend meetings to advise and observe. The committee met four times in 2008–09.

At 30 June 2009, the Biosecurity Australia Audit Committee members were:

Mr Bill Magee, General Manager, Biosecurity Development and Communications Branch (see ‘Biosecurity Australia Governance Committee’)

Dr Robyn Martin, General Manager, Animal Biosecurity (see ‘Biosecurity Australia Governance Committee’)

Ms Glenys Roper, independent member

Glenys Roper has held a range of senior executive positions in the Australian Government, including Controller of the Royal Australian Mint and Chief Executive of the Information and Communications Technology Office. She is now a non‑executive director on a number of boards, principally in the finance sector. She chairs or is a member of various other boards and committees, including audit committees, of the Australian, New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory governments.

Senior executives’ responsibilities

Table 28 lists the senior executives of Biosecurity Australia and their responsibilities.

Senior executive remuneration policy

Senior executive remuneration in Biosecurity Australia is consistent with the remuneration arrangements for senior executives in the department.

Ethical standards

As a prescribed agency, Biosecurity Australia has Chief Executive Instructions covering such areas as fraud control, official conduct and hospitality. Where it has not been necessary to develop a separate instruction, the agency maintains standards identical to those of the department.

Biosecurity Australia maintains its own Fraud Control Plan, which complements and is integrated with the department’s plan.

Biosecurity Australia staff receive fraud, ethics and security training from the department. The department also manages the induction of new recruits, including training in the APS Values and Code of Conduct as well as in fraud control and security.

Biosecurity Australia has a detailed and effective governance structure to guide and account for its ethical standards processes.

Risk management

Biosecurity Australia has adopted the department’s risk management framework.

Corporate performance planning and reporting

Biosecurity Australia’s directions for 2008–09 are outlined as part of the department’s Corporate Plan 2008–11. The agency’s planning was based on the 2008–09 Portfolio Budget Statements, government policy initiatives in biosecurity, and outcomes from 2007–08.

Based on the Corporate Plan, which covers business planning, business continuity and financial reporting arrangements, Biosecurity Australia developed:

• plans stating how each branch will deliver individual outputs
• a communications strategy to guide interactions with stakeholders.

The agency has conducted performance reviews for each branch.

As a result of the recommendations of the Beale review (see page xiii), from 1 July 2009 the functions of Biosecurity Australia were incorporated into the new Biosecurity Services Group.

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