The Australian Government, through the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, commenced consultation on an exposure draft of the Biosecurity Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2017 (the Bill) on 17 November 2017. Consultation closes on 30 January 2018. If you have been intending to make a submission, we encourage you to do so before the consultation period closes. The Bill makes amendments to the Biosecurity Act 2015 to enhance operation of Australia’s biosecurity framework. The measures included in the Bill will: • enhance information gathering powers to assist in the management of biosecurity risk • make minor and technical amendments to improve administration of the Biosecurity Act 2015 by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and the Department of Health • provide an improved ability to amend legislated biosecurity import conditions in response to changing biosecurity risk.
The Australian Government encourages all interested stakeholders to read the exposure draft and participate in the consultation process via https://haveyoursay.agriculture.gov.au/amendments-biosecurity-act.