Work program
Biosecurity Australia work program 2010
Biosecurity Australia undertakes risk analyses (including Import Risk Analysis and reviews of existing policy) to identify any quarantine risks associated with access requests to import animals, plants or their products into Australia and recommends quarantine measures to manage those risks to an acceptably low level.
The agency also provides considerable day-to-day advice to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service on biosecurity issues, including on the implementation of quarantine policy (such as Competent Authority country assessments) and the consideration of more specific applications for import permits. It also leads and manages technical negotiations in support of Australia’s market access to other countries for exports of animals, plants and their products.
Additionally, Biosecurity Australia contributes to the development of international standards relevant to biosecurity policy and implementation and contributes to Australia’s animal and plant health activities as a member of several national committees, for example the Animal Health and Plant Health Committees, and emergency animal and plant pest and disease committees.
Import proposals
The tables below list key import proposals that Biosecurity Australia has included on its work program for 2010. Moreover other import proposals may be added during the year subject to resource availability. It should be noted that other issues may arise during the year that could affect Biosecurity Australia’s ability to focus resources to progress some of these issues. More specific information about current import risk analyses, other risk assessments and reviews is available on Biosecurity Australia’s website.
Animal biosecurity import proposals and policy reviews
|
Commodity/import proposal/policy reviews |
Country |
|---|---|
| AQIS advice | All |
| Dogs and cats (babesiosis) | All |
| Dogs and cats (rabies) | All |
| Horses | Countries with current access |
| Horses embryos | Countries with current access for horses |
| Lobster | Papua New Guinea |
| Nonhuman primates | All |
| Ornamental finfish relating to gourami iridovirus (and other related viruses) | All |
| Queen honey bees | Various |
| Red rainbowfish | All |
| Prawns and prawn products | All |
| Ruminant (bovine, ovine, caprine, cervine) semen and embryos (in relation to bluetongue virus) | European Union, Switzerland, Norway |
| Vaccines – diagnostic testing for extraneous pathogens | All |
| Zoo bovids | New Zealand |
Plant biosecurity import proposals and policy reviews
| Commodity/import proposal/policy reviews | Country |
|---|---|
| Advice to AQIS | All |
| Apples | China |
| Apples | United States of America |
| Apples WTO dispute (technical input) | New Zealand |
| Avocadoes | Mexico |
| Biological control agents | Various |
| Blueberries | Canada |
| Burnt Pine Longicorn | Various |
| Candidatus Liberibacter species and their vectors associated with Rutaceae | All |
| Cherries | China |
| Flute canker | Various |
| Fruit fly pest free areas | China |
| Ginger | Fiji |
| Guava Rust | Various |
| Insects in wooden articles | All |
| Lychees | Taiwan |
| Mangoes | India |
| Mangoes | Pakistan |
| Mangoes (additional areas) | Philippines |
| Mangosteen | Various |
| Orchid seedlings | Taiwan |
| Pineapples | Malaysia |
| Potaotes for processing | New Zealand |
| Potaotes Spindle Tuber Viroid | All |
| Stone fruit | China |
| Stone fruit | United States of America |
| Stone fruit | Japan |
| Sudden Oak Death syndrome (timber and nursery stock) | Various |
| Table grapes | China |
| Table grapes to Western Australia | United States of America |
| Taro | Various |
| Timber (Phytophthora kernoviae) | New Zealand |
| Unshu mandarins | Republic of Korea |
| Weed risk assessments | Various |
Technical market access
Biosecurity Australia’s work program includes technical submissions to gain and improve access to international markets and, importantly, to maintain access to existing markets in the face of changes to quarantine requirements by Australia’s trading partners.
Biosecurity Australia’s work assists agricultural exporters to meet emerging challenges in an increasingly complex international trading environment. In this context, additional import conditions are sometimes applied to Australian products, placing demand on Biosecurity Australia to assess the scientific basis of such changes and to provide technical support and representations to maintain market access.
The tables below include details on some of the significant areas of technical market access work in Biosecurity Australia. There are many other ongoing market access issues, not listed here, that the agency works on and provides technical advice on, as necessary. In addition to this work, the agency also provides advice and assistance to AQIS and other areas of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on the technical issues underpinning Australia’s export certification.
Animal biosecurity technical market access proposals
| Country or region | Export proposal | Status |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | Ruminant livestock and genetics | Pursuing new market access recognition of Australia’s bluetongue regionalisation. |
| Middle-East | Livestock | Pursuing improved market access to various countries |
| North Asia | Ruminant livestock and genetics | Pursuing improved market access to various countries |
| North America | Ruminant livestock and genetics | Pursuing improved market access including recognition of Australia’s freedom from bovine tuberculosis |
| South America | Ruminant genetics and livestock | Pursuing new and improved market access to various countries |
| South-East Asia | Ruminant livestock and genetics | Pursuing improved market access to various countries |
| Various | Bees | Pursuing new or improved market access |
| Various | Horses | Pursuing new or improved market access |
| Various | Oyster spat | Pursuing new market access |
Plant biosecurity technical market access proposals
| Country or region | Export proposal | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Various | Citrus | Pursuing new or improved market access |
| Various | Area freedom from fruit flies | Improve or gain recognition of area freedom for fruit flies |
| North Asia and North America | Cherries | Pursuing new or improved market access |
| Various | Apples | Improve or gain market access |
| North Asia | Table grapes | Providing technical information in support of access request |
| Various | Stone fruit | Pursuing market access or improvements |
| North Asia and North America | Mangoes | Pursuing market access or improvements |
| South America | Pasture seeds | Providing technical submissions to support market access requests |
| Taiwan | Horticultural products | Pursuing access and improved access for a number of horticultural products |
| Various | Modified quarantine regulations | Continuing to provide technical input on the draft proposal to amend quarantine regulations for plant and plant products to various countries including Taiwan, Republic of Korea, Indonesia and Thailand |
| Various | Grain exports | Pursuing to maintain and improve various grain markets |
International standards development
Biosecurity Australia will continue its strategic involvement with international standards-setting organisations, including the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the bodies established under the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), including by:
- providing specific technical advice on OIE international animal health standards and guidelines
- participating in OIE expert groups (e.g. on assessment of countries’ veterinary services) and in technical working groups with the animal health quadrilateral group (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States)
- contributing to the development and approval of many IPPC International Standards on Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) and strategies and the future work program of the organisation
- participating in IPPC technical panels for fruit flies and phytosanitary treatments, as well as the bodies developing the IPPC business plan and future work program.