Dr Michele Allan AO was appointed on 22 May 2024 as independent reviewer of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity (IGAB).
Terms of reference for the 2024 review of the IGAB
Preamble
The 2019 Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity (IGAB) is an agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia, and state and territory governments to strengthen the biosecurity system. The agreement recognises that biosecurity is a shared responsibility between all governments, industry, natural resource managers, custodians or users, and aims to strengthen these partnerships.
The IGAB establishes nationally agreed approaches to prevent, prepare for, detect and mitigate biosecurity risks, and respond to, manage and recover from biosecurity incidents should they occur. The review will examine the principles, goals and objectives, components and governance arrangements and responsibilities of the intergovernmental agreement and consider whether there are further opportunities to improve the operation of the agreement.
This review will report to Commonwealth, state and territory Ministers responsible for biosecurity matters on findings and any recommendations for improvement. The review will determine where adjustments to the IGAB are needed to ensure that the biosecurity system operates effectively, efficiently and with sufficient responsiveness and continues to support market access for Australian products, to minimise primary production costs and to support a healthy economy, environment and community.
Scope
The IGAB review will consider and provide recommendations on the following:
- the implementation and effectiveness of each section of the current agreement, in particular examining whether any clauses in the Agreement inhibit any activity required to prevent, prepare for, detect and mitigate biosecurity risks, and respond to, manage and recover from biosecurity incidents should they occur, or whether any additional elements are required to prevent, prepare for, detect and mitigate biosecurity risks, and respond to, manage and recover from biosecurity incidents should they occur.
- existing cost-sharing arrangements and the potential for implementation of new funding arrangements for cross-jurisdictional biosecurity activities.
- the impacts of Covid on the functioning of the IGAB and if any consequential amendments may be required.
- not duplicate efforts from previous and ongoing reviews and assessments of the biosecurity system noting that consideration and implementation of some of the recommendations from these may still be underway.
The review will be led by an independent reviewer and supported by a secretariat team established within the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The National Biosecurity Committee (NBC) will be the primary steering committee for the review and decisions will be made by the Agriculture Ministers Meeting (AMM) via consideration by Agriculture Senior Officials Committee (AGSOC) members. The reviewer will provide a final report, including recommendations, to Ministers, within 8 months of appointment.
Consultation
As required under IGAB Clause 53, during the review process input will be sought from a range of participants in the national biosecurity system. Consultation will extend to governments, industries (including agricultural and environmental), and community members.
Background
The inaugural IGAB between the Commonwealth and all state and territory governments (except Tasmania) commenced in 2012. In 2015, responsible ministers agreed to initiate a review of the national biosecurity system and its underpinning IGAB. This review, completed in 2017, made 42 recommendations aimed at strengthening Australia’s biosecurity system over the following five to ten years, and resulted in the second IGAB being endorsed by First Ministers in 2019.
In the second (current) IGAB, clause 53 requires that Parties must, within five years from commencement, and every 5 years afterwards (or earlier if considered necessary) initiate an independent review of the implementation and effectiveness of the IGAB. To fulfil this requirement, the review needs to be initiated before 3 January 2024.
In March 2023, the NBC agreed to the approach for the proposed IGAB review that avoided duplicating or adding unnecessarily to the existing national reform agenda.