Biosecurity Act 2019

The Minister may direct the Secretary to implement a program relating to the prevention, elimination, minimisation, control or management of a biosecurity risk or biosecurity impact, if the Minister – has consulted with any persons (including a council or the Biosecurity Advisory Committee) who, in the opinion of the Minister, are likely to be affected by the implementation of the program, or any entity representing such persons; and is satisfied that implementation of the program will further the objects of this Act.

The Minister may give a direction under subsection (1) without prior consultation with the persons or entities referred to in that subsection if the Minister is satisfied that the interests of Tasmania require implementation of the program with minimal delay.

A program implemented under subsection (1) is to specify the following matters:the biosecurity risk or biosecurity impact to which the program relates; the biosecurity matter or class of biosecurity matter that the program affects; the objectives of the program; the strategies and methods to be applied under the program to control the biosecurity risk or biosecurity impact to which the program relates; the likely duration of the program; the manner in which the effectiveness of the program is to be monitored; the persons or classes of persons able to perform functions in relation to the control of the biosecurity risk or biosecurity impact to which the program relates; the functions of those persons or classes of persons; whether reimbursement for the destruction of any animal, plant or other property under the program is payable to the owner of the animal, plant or property; if reimbursement is payable under the program, the manner in which the amount of reimbursement is to be determined.

A program implemented under subsection (1) may also specify one or more of the following matters:the identification and examination of any biosecurity matter, carrier or other thing; the treatment of any biosecurity matter, carrier or other thing; the destruction or disposal of any biosecurity matter, carrier or other thing if necessary to control a biosecurity risk or biosecurity impact; measures to – eradicate specified biosecurity matter from a specified area; or restrict or reduce the spread of specified biosecurity matter in a specified area; any other measures that the Minister considers appropriate to control the relevant biosecurity risk or biosecurity impact.

The Secretary may, by notice published in the Gazette, amend, or terminate, a government biosecurity program on his or her own initiative or at the request of the Minister.

A notice published in theGazetteunder subsection (5) in respect of the amendment, or termination, of a government biosecurity program is to specify the reasons for the amendment or termination.