NGIA submission to federal draft biosecurity legislation

Nursery and Garden Industry Australia have submitted a response to the Federal Government draft Biosecurity Bill and draft Inspector-General of Biosecurity Bill.

The two bills propose a modern overhaul of federal biosecurity legislation which is currently based upon the century old Quarantine Act 1908.

While many of the changes to the draft biosecurity legislation proposed to address the weaknesses in the Quarantine Act 1908, several were flagged as concerning to the nursery industry. For example, the proposed import process in the draft legislation did not include a strong independent and scientific reference group to  ensure impartiality and integrity in the process.

NGIA also expressed concern that the proposed legislation did not provide industry with an independent appeal process which was based on science for consignments that were held up at the border.

To view the industry response, please click here. To view the draft legislation, go to the DAFF website.

For more information please contact your state association or the NGIA office on (02) 8861 5100.