This consultation has now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated online and at our information session. Your ideas are being considered in the finalisation of the framework and the new Biosecurity Bill.

Please note that submissions will not be made public and detailed responses to individual submissions will not be provided.

What we are looking at

The Government is modernising the way it manages biosecurity so the Territory can better detect and respond to threats from invasive pests and diseases.

We need to be able to identify and stop pest or disease incursions before they get out of control so we can protect our environment, agriculture industry and urban environment. The proposed legislation will also allow us to more effectively control and manage existing threats.

Pest animals such as foxes, rabbits and wild dogs are the primary cause of the loss of many native species. At least 100 introduced plants are highly invasive and pose a substantial threat to biodiversity. If Varroa Mite enters the country, it could decimate the honey industry. The Red Imported Fire Ant would make outdoor living extremely uncomfortable if they spread into our parks and gardens. If Foot and Mouth Disease were to enter the country, our meat export markets would close immediately and cost many hundreds of millions of dollars to eradicate.

Biosecurity is a shared responsibility of governments, industries and individuals. The proposed framework for an ACT Biosecurity Act outlines how biosecurity risks in the ACT will be managed in the future as a shared responsibility consistent with the approach adopted by other states and the Commonwealth. See the proposed framework and a summary in the Document Library.

Why we need new biosecurity legislation

Biosecurity is the protection of the economy, environment and community from the negative impacts of pests, diseases, weeds and contaminants. A strong biosecurity system is fundamental to the wellbeing and prosperity of everyone in the ACT.

The new Act will help us prevent, eliminate or minimise biosecurity risks.

The legislation works on the premise that responsibility for biosecurity is shared among government, industries and individuals.

What the Act will do

The Biosecurity Act aims to introduce controls to manage:

• threats to terrestrial and aquatic environments arising from pests and diseases
• pests and diseases and contaminants that are economically significant for primary production industries
• animal and plant pests and diseases, pest plants and animals and contaminants that may have an adverse effect on community activities, infrastructure, health and wellbeing.

It will:

• include a range of tools for the management of biosecurity threats and risks and to ensure the most appropriate and effective response to biosecurity risks
• include more relevant compliance and enforcement powers that better match circumstances and biosecurity threats. For instance, strong emergency powers
• reduce red tape for businesses.