About our Biosecurity system

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has primary responsibility for managing Australia's biosecurity system. DAFF is reforming how biosecurity services are delivered to meet future challenges such as increased global movements of people and goods, and climate change.

The changing global environment means there is a need for a greater emphasis on managing the whole biosecurity continuum – onshore, at the border and offshore – rather than focusing primarily on interventions at the border. Effective biosecurity management requires activities offshore to reduce risks reaching the border, and actions onshore to deal with incursions. It means allocating our resources to target the areas that pose the highest biosecurity risks.

DAFF's core priorities in managing biosecurity are to:

• manage Australia's biosecurity by effectively identifying and targeting our management of risks to focus on the things that matter most
• partner with other governments, industry, our clients and our stakeholders to manage Australia's biosecurity
• deliver biosecurity services to support access to overseas markets and protect the economy and the environment from the impacts of unwanted pests and diseases
• support Australia's reputation as a competitive exporter of agricultural goods and products.

To better address future biosecurity demands, DAFF has brought together its biosecurity research, policy and program areas for animal, plant, food and quarantine operations. DAFF will continue to conduct its biosecurity business in line with its legislative responsibilities. At the border, through the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, staff will continue to deliver inspection and certifications services, and facilitate the movement of people and goods. DAFF will also continue to conduct risk analyses, including import risk analyses, and develop recommendations for biosecurity policy as well as providing biosecurity policy advice.

Biosecurity services are delivered through five regions across Australia.

Biosecurity regional boundaries

_{Click on the thumbnail image to see a larger version of the regional boundaries}