It also covers Australia's international rights and obligations, and lists specific diseases which are contagious and capable of causing severe harm to human health.
Each state and territory has additional legislation and protocols to cover biosecurity in their jurisdiction (post-border) including the detection of pests and diseases that have breached the national border.
The term "biosecurity" was initially used in a narrower sense, to describe preventative and quarantine procedures put in place to minimise the risk of damage to crops, livestock and the environment by invasive pests or diseases that might enter any location.
[8] New requirements included how the then Department of Agriculture and Water Resources would manage biosecurity risks associated with goods, people and vessels entering Australia.
[20] The Department of Health defines biosecurity as "all the measures taken to minimise the risk of infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria or other micro-organisms entering, emerging, establishing or spreading in Australia, potentially harming the Australian population, our food security and economy".
[21] A Joint External Evaluation (JEE) e following the 2013–2016 Western African Ebola virus epidemic showed that Australia has very high level of capacity of response.
The Federal Government under Scott Morrison invoked the Biosecurity Act 2015 to announce a state of emergency, and brought in various measures to restrict the movement of people in and out of Australia.
[24][25] On 30 April 2021, following a dramatic rise in cases in a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Government announced a ban on Australian citizens and permanent residents in India from entering Australia via any route, between 3 May and 15 May.
[26] Those caught returning from India to Australia via any route would be subject to punishment under the Biosecurity Act,[27] with penalties for breaches including up to five years' jail, a fine of A$66,600, or both.
[1] In November 2016, white spot virus was detected on a prawn farm on the Logan River in south-east Queensland for the first time in the country.
It was focussed on controlling animal and plant pests rather than human biosecurity, as it was considered that this aspect was already covered by existing agreements, and set out to improve collaboration and understanding of shared responsibilities among all parties, including industry stakeholders.
[34] The 2012 IGAB created a framework for governments to coordinate and identify priority areas of reform and action to build a stronger and more effective national biosecurity system.
[35] The report, under a section titled "Market Access is key", said that Australia's world class biosecurity system is a trade and economic asset, but that there was scope for improvement.
[35] The report stated that Australia has a mixture of biosecurity strategies and policies that have been tailor-made for each jurisdiction, taxon and/or agency, and that an agreed national approach for prioritising exotic pest and disease risks is desirable, to guide governments' investments.
In the area of research, it concluded that the system "no longer [had] the required structure, focus or capacity to address existing and emerging national biosecurity challenges" with "many players but no captain".
The IGAB had provided a strong mandate for advancing national biosecurity capacity and capability, which critically impacts whole-of economy and whole-of-government arrangements, affecting trade and market access, tourism, agricultural productivity, human health, environmental quality, biodiversity and social amenity.
[38] The NBC is "responsible for managing a national, strategic approach to biosecurity threats relating to plant and animal pests and diseases, marine pests and aquatics, and the impact of these on agricultural production, the environment, community well-being and social amenity", with one of its core objectives being to cooperation, coordination and consistency among the various government agencies involved.
This gives the Minister sweeping powers, including imposing restrictions or preventing the movement of people and goods between specified places, and evacuations.
[25] On 25 March 2020, the Health Minister made a second determination, the Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Overseas Travel Ban Emergency Requirements) Determination 2020, which "forbids Australian citizens and permanent residents from leaving Australian territory by air or sea as a passenger".
[84] The state and territory governments used existing legislation relating to public health emergencies in order to bring in various measures in March.