10 February 2026
The Environment and Invasives Committee (EIC) met on 10 February 2026 in Adelaide, South Australia. The EIC convened to progress key governance improvements, strengthen national coordination on invasive species management, and review priority work areas across the Committee and its working groups.
The Committee considered governance and operating arrangements, including proposed updates to the EIC Terms of Reference. Members emphasised the importance of clear scope, membership and decision‑making roles, and agreed to establish a working group to examine governance models and advise on arrangements suitable for EIC’s role.
Progress was noted on cost‑sharing arrangements for national initiatives. Members agreed to establish a task group, led by Western Australia, to refine a consistent process for the development, assessment and escalation of funding and cost‑sharing proposals, with outcomes to be reported to the Committee.
The Committee received an update on the National Carp Biological Control Program and noted the progress of research priorities. Jurisdictions committed to nominate representatives for a Carp Virus Implementation Planning Advisory Group (IPAG).
The Committee discussed a continued sharing of interception and surveillance information to inform preparedness and response to emerging threats and trends. The Committee discussed sharing information on contingency and preparedness plans that exist across jurisdictions to further strengthen national readiness.
The Committee received an update on Phase 2 of the National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement (NEBRA) review and agreed to support stakeholder engagement activities to inform future policy and program development.
The Committee discussed the key findings and recommendations from the Inspector‑General of Biosecurity (IGB) Environmental Biosecurity review, and the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry’s (DAFF’s) proposed approach to implementing improvements to management and policy implementation.
The Committee approved a request from the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS) to engage with EIC working groups and relevant stakeholders to develop a proposal for a nationally coordinated approach to invasive species incursion data collation and reporting.
The Committee considered a cost-shared proposal from CISS for continued work on developing new strains of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) under the biocontrol rabbit strategy.
The Committee reaffirmed its role as a forum for inter‑jurisdictional discussion and policy advice, particularly in relation to threat abatement planning, and emphasised the value of coordinated input from technical working groups and policy representatives.
The Chair acknowledged the continued contributions of all members and the Committee’s commitment to ensuring alignment across reform actions, proposals, and strategic planning for invasive species management and environmental biosecurity.
For any questions about this communiqué, please email the EIC Secretariat at eic@aff.gov.au.