What it does
This Regulation (the Biosecurity Regulation 2017) operationalises the Biosecurity Act 2015 by setting mandatory measures, notification requirements, biosecurity zones, registration and accreditation processes, fees and label/record obligations. Mechanically it does the following.
- Declares particular animals as pests (clause 4A) and lists pests and diseases that must be notified (Schedule 1, cl 7). Clause 4 expressly treats testing for biosecurity matter as a “dealing” for the purposes of the Act.
- Imposes mandatory measures that operate as offences unless an exception applies (Part 2, cl 5), with routine exceptions governed by the Biosecurity Order (Permitted Activities) 2019 (see cl 6 and repeated cross-references at cll 44G, 46, 54, 67).
- Prohibits specified dealings (import, possession, movement, release, sale, vaccination, feeding, labelling failures) with named pests, carriers and materials across many specialist subject areas: bees, other animals, aquatic pests and diseases, plant pests and diseases, invasive species and weeds (see Part 2 Divisions 4-9 and Divisions 2-5 of Parts 3-5).
- Creates and defines multiple named biosecurity zones with specific movement and activity controls targeted at particular pests or diseases (for example the cane toad zone cl 44H-44I; QX disease zone cl 47-49; POMS cl 50-52; grapevine phylloxera cl 58-59; potato, rice, citrus zones at Parts 4).
- Imposes time-critical notification and reporting duties: for certain listed pests/diseases a person who becomes aware or suspects presence must notify within 1 working day (cl 7); laboratories must report specified chemical residue test results to an authorised officer within 1 working day of availability (cl 41); vendor disclosure duties prior to sale of food producing animals (cl 42); and other shorter reporting windows for registered entities and accredited persons (cll 82, 90, 85, 97).