Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the member for Sturt was in continuation. He's not here, so I will sum up the debate on the Biosecurity Amendment (Strengthening Biosecurity) Bill 2022. This bill will amend the Biosecurity Act 2015 to strengthen Australia's ability to manage biosecurity risks, such as foot-and-mouth disease, posed by goods via maritime and aviation traveller arrivals. I thank members who contributed to the debate—they were all in support of the bill.

In response to the current threats, we have deployed the strongest-ever response to a biosecurity threat at our border. We've supported our Indo-Pacific neighbours, toughened our legislation, stress-tested our preparedness and aligned ourselves carefully with state and territory partners in the nation's first Biosecurity Strategy.

It's worth repeating that Australia remains free of both foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease, but the last few months have illustrated the need for a biosecurity system that is up to contemporary challenges. To that end I'm pleased to say that the centrepiece of our agricultural budget is an investment of over $134.1 million to bolster Australia's biosecurity system against the immediate threat of disease.

Critical to implementing these measures are strong legislative powers that enable biosecurity officers to effectively manage biosecurity risks. This will be done through new measures that manage biosecurity risks arising from travellers and classes of individuals for the purposes of preventing or reducing the risk of a pest or disease, such as foot-and-mouth disease, being introduced to Australia from the footwear and clothing of travellers. The bill strengthens the legislative framework in responding to and managing human biosecurity risks. This, as I said, will be done by expanding pre-arrival reporting requirements to ensure access to up-to-date information is available to inform the management of human biosecurity risks and by strengthening penalties for noncompliance. The bill will enable more effective sharing of information with government agencies and other bodies, in line with other Commonwealth legislation, while ensuring that protected information is afforded appropriate safeguards.

The bill increases the pecuniary penalties that apply to specified criminal offences and civil penalty provisions in chapter 3 and chapter 4 of the Biosecurity Act that deal with managing biosecurity risks related to goods and conveyances. These increases apply primarily to regulated entities, such as commercial importers, and to operators and persons in charge of aircraft or vessels, all of whom have a particular responsibility to know and understand their obligations under the Biosecurity Act.

The increased civil penalties will serve as a deterrent to anybody considering undermining our biosecurity laws, and the criminal penalties will allow appropriate and proportionate punishment for offences under the Biosecurity Act. The process for making certain determinations relating to the import of goods, including the granting of permits, based on risk assessments will be streamlined by this bill. Other amendments will ensure transparency and efficiency of expenditure on biosecurity related programs and activities, by permitting the agriculture minister and health minister to authorise the expenditure directly through the Biosecurity Act.

This bill will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the management of approved arrangements while also improving processes for approved arrangement administration, auditing and the consideration of compensation claims. The bill will provide for a new civil penalty provision targeting individuals who attempt to conceal goods from a biosecurity official at the border. The new penalties will be subject to the infringement notice scheme under the Biosecurity Act and serve as a deterrent to carrying out this serious behaviour that could jeopardise Australia's biosecurity status.

Again, I thank all members for their contribution to debate on this bill. Passage of this bill will ensure that the biosecurity framework remains effective and responsive in protecting Australia's animal and plant health, environment and economy. This includes ensuring the biosecurity framework remains fit for purpose when responding to emerging biosecurity and human biosecurity risks. Again, I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.