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Department of Agriculture

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  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Biosecurity
  4. Biosecurity in Australia
  5. Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS)

Sidebar first - Biosecurity

  • Biosecurity in Australia
    • Biosecurity Advanced Analytics Capability
    • Detector dogs
    • Innovative Biosecurity 3D X-ray Project
    • Modernising Australia’s approach to managing established pests and diseases of national significance: Discussion paper
    • Northern biosecurity
      • Aquatic pest biosecurity community awareness
      • Biosecurity-it’s everyone’s business virtual reality experience
      • Country Handle with Care - Costa and dirtgirl Tackle Biosecurity
      • Frontline-northern biosecurity’s community song
      • Avian influenza awareness – Keep a TopWatch!
      • Lumpy skin disease awareness – Keep a TopWatch!
      • Rabies Awareness - Keep a Top Watch!
      • Report a pest, weed or disease in Northern Australia
      • You can be a Biosecurity Champion too!
        • Developing industry and supporting local growers
    • Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program
      • Northern Australia Indigenous Biosecurity Ranger Forum
      • Northern Australia Indigenous Rangers Biosecurity Round Table
      • Biosecurity Business Grants Program
      • Ranger Capability Building Grants Program
      • Frontline Ranger Newsletter
    • Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy 2030
      • The Northern Australia People Capacity and Response Network (NAPCaRN)
    • Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS)
      • Co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
      • Aircraft arriving on the Australian mainland from Torres Strait
      • NAQS target pests, diseases and weeds
      • Moving goods to, from and within Torres Strait
      • Significant events in the history of NAQs
        • Celebrating 30 years of co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
        • Commemorating 25 years of NAQS
      • Shipping and yachting in the Torres Strait
      • Map of NAQS zones
    • Public awareness and education
      • Australian biosecurity webinar series
      • Detect and Protect podcast
        • Series 1 - How our biosecurity system works
        • Series 2 – Detector dogs
      • Australian Biosecurity Awards
        • Current Australian Biosecurity Award recipients
        • Past Australian Biosecurity Award recipients
      • Pacific engagement
        • Exporting to Australia from the Pacific
        • Working together with our Pacific neighbours
        • Australia's biosecurity system
        • Inside the department
          • Meet the team
        • Your local authority
      • Be a Junior Biosecurity Officer
        • Activities for kids
        • Teacher resources on biosecurity
      • Visual resources
    • Reform of the biosecurity system
      • Biosecurity Training Centre
      • Industry Partnerships and Engagement
    • Reports and publications
      • 2008-12 Imported cargo processing, a DAFF time release study
      • Biosecurity Matters Newsletter
      • Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility: The Nairn report
        • Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility: The Government response
    • Pest and disease surveillance at Australia’s borders
    • Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Biosecurity Strategy

Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS)

Commemorating 30 years of the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy – Biosecurity in Northern Australia

The Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) was established in 1989 to provide an early warning system for exotic pest, weed and disease detections across northern Australia and to help address unique biosecurity risks facing the region.

With over 10 000 kms of coastline, inlets and islands, northern Australia is vast and remote and vulnerable to exotic pest, weed and disease arrivals from countries to Australia’s north.

Some serious pests and diseases have been found in Torres Strait but are not present on the Australian mainland.

There are a number of ways exotic threats could reach northern Australia:

  • natural pathways such as wind and tide movements and animal migrations
  • human-assisted pathways, including:
    • foreign and domestic vessel movements
    • aircraft arriving on mainland Australia from the Torres Strait
    • associated passenger and cargo movements through Torres Strait.
  • traditional trade between Papua New Guinea and the outer Torres Strait islands in accordance with Australia’s treaty obligations.

The objectives of NAQS are to:

  • identify and evaluate the unique biosecurity risks facing northern Australia
  • develop and implement measures for the early detection of targeted risk species
  • contribute to national and international initiatives relevant to the strategy
  • manage the biosecurity aspects of movements through the Torres Strait risk pathway, and
  • engage with stakeholders, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, on measures that support effective biosecurity surveillance and other objectives of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in northern Australia.

To achieve these objectives, the department undertakes the following activities:

  • animal and plant health surveillance of targeted pests, diseases and weeds in coastal areas across northern Australia, from Broome in Western Australia to Cairns in Queensland (including To​​rres Strait)
  • biosecurity operations to address biosecurity risks associated with southward movements of people, cargo, aircraft and vessels into and between defined biosecurity zones​ in Torres Strait, and from these zones to mainland Australia
  • public awareness activities delive​​​​red under the ‘Biosecurity Top Watch’ initiative
  • collaborations with external stakeholders, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and State and Territory agencies in support of biosecurity surveillance and other departmental services
  • participation in surveillance and monitoring activities in neighbouring countries for early signs of targeted pests, diseases and weeds.

NAQS activities are delivered via a network of scientific and operational staff based in Broome, Darwin, Nhulunbuy (Gove), Weipa, Bamaga, Cairns and throughout Torres Strait.

  • ​​Significant events in the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy​

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

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Report a biosecurity concern

  • Significant events in the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy
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Page last updated: 06 February 2024

We acknowledge the continuous connection of First Nations Traditional Owners and Custodians to the lands, seas and waters of Australia. We recognise their care for and cultivation of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and recognise their knowledge and contribution to the productivity, innovation and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

Artwork: Protecting our Country, Growing our Future
© Amy Allerton, contemporary Aboriginal Artist of the Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi nations.

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