The new Act allows for significant modernisation of the biosecurity system and will have an impact on many of the activities carried out by the nursery industry, along with many others. It will also affect how the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources approves and manages arrangements with quarantine-approved premises (QAP) and compliance agreements (CA), which means nurseries operating their own QAP will see some changes.

Existing CAs and QAPs will be consolidated under a single approved arrangement system, and holders of approved arrangements will be known as biosecurity industry participants (BIPs).

Australia’s Nursery Industry says that it is at the front line of biosecurity, with over 300 emergency plant pest reports made in Australia between 2011 to 2015 that required quarantine or eradication measures.

It adds that the approved arrangements will allow a BIP to carry out activities associated with the management of biosecurity risks linked with specified goods, sites or other things.

The ability to import new plant material safely into Australia is of high importance to the Nursery and Garden Industry. Not only does it give access to new and improved plant lines and genetics, it helps to safeguard the industry from biosecurity threats.

Information about the new Biosecurity Act – including approval periods, auditing and fees, and new applications for existing QAPs – is available by calling the Department on 1800 040 629 or via e-mail.