The Australian Government, through the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, has commenced consultation on an exposure draft of the Biosecurity Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2017 (the Bill). 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.
Consultation on the exposure draft commenced on 17 November 2017 and will close on 30 January 2018. 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.