National Biosecurity Committee Meeting 31 and Strategic Workshop 18

The National Biosecurity Committee met on 24 September 2019 in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The Australian Local Government Association attended this meeting as an observer for the first time. The Committee worked its way through another exceptionally full agenda, highlighting just how much continues to be progressed on biosecurity.

It considered current and emerging issues for each jurisdiction. Of particular concern is the increasing rate at which pests and diseases are now spreading around the world. The potential for African swine fever to reach Australia was high on everyone’s priority list, as was the start of the brown marmorated stink bug season on 1 September.

The Committee held initial discussions on traceability and, in particular, compliance and enforcement issues and agreed broad principles are required to guide this work.

The impact of climate change on biosecurity, including the risks and opportunities for Australia’s agricultural industries, was discussed by the Committee. It was agreed this important issue will be the focus of its next strategic workshop in March 2020.

With regards to surveillance, the Committee commended the work undertaken by the Plant Health Committee and Plant Health Australia in developing a project plan for the use of MyPestGuide as a national plant health surveillance tool in a pilot project with Australian botanic gardens.

Acknowledging the importance of emergency preparedness, the Committee committed to the ongoing update and maintenance of the Biosecurity Emergency Response Training and Assessment materials and associated community of practice.

On the response front, the Committee was briefed on all national biosecurity response activities.

Members also noted and endorsed the proposed approach for further development of the Exotic Production Weeds Incursion Response Agreement.

An update was provided on the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program in South East Queensland. The results of the treatment of the first eradication area identified in the Ten Year Eradication Plan have been positive, with feedback from landholders being they are confident the pest has been eradicated from the area.

The Committee also considered the work being undertaken to ensure smarter management of fruit fly nationally, and approved a research roadmap to guide decisions made under the Strengthening Australia’s Fruit Fly System Research Program.

Raising biosecurity awareness across the broader community has been on the Committee’s radar and the 2020 United Nations International Year of Plant Health is a great opportunity to do this. Members committed to a series of activities over the year.

The Committee recognised the strong collaboration across the Commonwealth and northern jurisdictions to develop a Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy. The strategy will maintain and strengthen industry and jurisdictional collaboration on biosecurity issues in northern Australia. The Committee also noted the memoranda of understanding signed by northern jurisdictions.

The benefits of a performance framework to assess the national biosecurity system were also considered. The Committee noted a draft performance framework for the national biosecurity system will shortly be finalised.

Members also considered seven research, development and extension proposals targeting national system-level improvements, including next generation sequencing and disease modelling. The Committee agreed to progress five of these projects, with a jurisdictional lead identified for each, and members will work closely on their progress.

It also discussed the expected needs of the future biosecurity workforce, particularly in light of the new technologies raised. Queensland, the Commonwealth and Victoria agreed to jointly progress this important work.

This being its last meeting for the year, the Committee considered biosecurity achievements for 2019. Achievements included:

• actions to review and reform the interstate system of trade of plant commodities. These activities will result in significant biosecurity benefits for both biosecurity and trade.
• successful resolution of several interstate trade issues by relevant jurisdictions, following an update of the issues resolution processes. Such resolution is part of national commitments to enhance and harmonise national regulatory approaches in relation to plant biosecurity.
• revision of the Interstate Deployment Arrangements for Biosecurity Responses, which provide national guidance for coordinating the deployment of Australian jurisdictional staff for biosecurity incidents.
• recognition of the Biosecure HACCP system as an equivalent to nursery industry biosecurity regulation. This is one of the first national third-party accreditation systems to receive this recognition.
• endorsement of the National Marine Pest Surveillance Strategy, which outlines marine pest surveillance priorities and sets the strategic direction for investment in surveillance over the next five years.
• publication of Anti-fouling and in-water cleaning guidelines setting out best practice approaches to managing biofouling and invasive aquatic species.
• formation of an Animal Health Foresight and Horizon Scanning Network to assess emerging animal and aquatic biosecurity risks.
• establishment of the Environmental Biosecurity Advisory Group as a mechanism for environmental biosecurity stakeholders to advise on environmental biosecurity policy and strategies, and other environmental biosecurity issues

• development of a draft national incursion management framework for invasive species that primarily impact the environment (InvasivesPlan).

The Committee agreed that its next meeting would be in New South Wales in March 2020.     

                 
For any questions regarding this communique, please email the NBC Secretariat at nbc@aff.gov.au.