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AusBIOSEC
Background
Australia remains relatively free from many of the harmful pests and diseases that affect primary production industries and the natural environment overseas. This has given us a competitive advantage as a major agricultural exporter and an international reputation as a producer of ‘clean and green’ agricultural and food products.
Australians place a high value on preserving our unique environment, biodiversity and lifestyle for future generations, and effective biosecurity systems are essential to protecting these values.
Why is it important to strengthen our biosecurity arrangements?
As people and goods move around the world quicker and easier, Australia’s biosecurity systems are under increasing pressure. Australian and international consumers are also demanding production systems that produce safe food while respecting the environment, wildlife and animal welfare.
All this creates challenges for biosecurity, including increased risks from exotic pests and new and re-emerging diseases, and raises concerns about national security.
For example:
- an outbreak of a new zoonotic disease, such as Nipah virus or highly virulent avian influenza, in Australia would have serious effects on the broader economy including health, education, hospitality, travel and tourism, and business investment.
- an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) would have devastating effects on trade in livestock products, with economic impacts in excess of $10 billion.
- There are also large costs associated with managing pests and diseases that are already here in Australia. For example:
- Estimated costs of control and the value of production foregone for plant diseases and invertebrate pests of plants is at least $0.7 billion and as high as $2 billion per annum. For animal diseases and invertebrate pests of animals the estimate is at least $1.2 billion per annum.
- The economic impact of weeds and the main vertebrate pest animals already established in Australia is approximately $4 billion and $0.7 billion per annum respectively. These figures primarily represent production losses and control costs, as the cost of weeds to the environment and biodiversity is largely incalculable.
What is the enhancement of AusBIOSEC?
AusBIOSEC is the Australian Biosecurity System for Primary Production and the Environment. The system is being enhanced through a whole-of-government project, which was established in October 2005. The aim is to bring together, under an overarching national framework, biosecurity activities being undertaken by the Australian Government, state and territory governments, industry, landholders and other key stakeholders in primary production and the environment.
The scope of this work is along the entire biosecurity continuum and includes managing pests and diseases of the terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. It takes in everything from prevention and preparedness and emergency response to ongoing management of established species.
Australia already has good systems for managing pests and disease in the primary production industries, such as sectoral and pest-based strategies, legislation and operational procedures.
In enhancing AusBIOSEC these existing systems will be used and improved upon to strengthen the biosecurity management arrangements for managing primary production impacts and improve arrangements for managing pests and diseases that also have environmental and social amenity impacts.
Download the sectoral strategies diagram 
PPT [36kb]
What will enhancing AusBIOSEC do?
The AusBIOSEC project will:
- provide enhanced capacity to reduce the establishment, spread and impact of pests and diseases
- provide a whole-of-government approach to biosecurity delivery across primary production and the environment
- improve the management of pests and diseases that have negative impacts on the environment or social amenity
- reduce the effect of pests and diseases on biodiversity decline
- achieve more efficient and timely responses to new incursions to reduce the overall impacts of pests and diseases
- maintain Australia’s favourable health status for our primary production industries and exports (including Australia’s trading advantage arising from its favourable pest and disease status)
- promote cost-effective solutions to biosecurity risks, and
- continue to align activities with our trading rights and ensure Australia meets obligations and international treaties.
To achieve these outcomes an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) is being developed. When complete, the IGA will provide an overarching framework of common principles and guidelines to enable biosecurity arrangements to be applied consistently across Australia. The cooperation and coordination of all levels of government essential to its implementation.
Who is responsible for the enhancement of AusBIOSEC?
The joint Steering Group for the enhancement AusBIOSEC includes representatives from:
- the Australian Government Departments of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry (DAFF), the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA), and Health and Ageing;
- CSIRO
- state and territory primary industries, environment and natural resource management agencies
- Local government, and
- CSIRO, representing the research community.
The joint Steering Group reports to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council and the Primary Industries Ministerial Council through their respective Standing Committees.
A joint DAFF/DEWHA Taskforce supports the joint Steering Group, and is located in DAFF.
Who can I contact for more information?
The AusBIOSEC Taskforce
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and
the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts