The Biosecurity Act 2024 aims to build a culture of shared responsibility among government, industry and the community, according to Member of Parliament, Mr Tony Piccolo.
During the debate on new Act, Mr Piccolo said “biosecurity is not just an issue for primary producers; it concerns government and consumers alike.
“We all have a role to play in protecting our state from the impacts of pests, diseases and contaminants."
“Farmers should not have to shoulder the full burden of the biosecurity challenge.”
“ When tough decisions are made for the common good, individual farmers should not be left to wither on the vine,” stressed Mr Piccolo.
The bill introduces the concept of a 'general biosecurity duty,' requiring everyone to take reasonable practical measures to prevent, eliminate, minimise, control and manage biosecurity risks.
Mr Piccolo emphasised that this shared responsibility ensures that biosecurity efforts are comprehensive and effective.
The new Act consolidates several existing acts to improve consistency and flexibility in managing biosecurity risks, ensuring the state remains a strong link in the national biosecurity system.
"Over the past few years, South Australia has faced numerous biosecurity challenges, including fruit fly outbreaks in both the Riverland and metropolitan Adelaide, heightened awareness of foot-and-mouth and lumpy skin disease from neighbouring countries and the ongoing response to the tomato brown rugose fruit virus," said Mr. Piccolo.
Mr Piccolo said the review process for managing the tomato brown rugose fruit virus underscores the importance of national coordination and legal frameworks that reinforce the significance of having an independent external review process.
Mr Piccolo said Plant Health Australia will conduct debriefs to gather, analyse and report on information from incidents and response plans, ensuring continuous evaluation and improvement.
The debriefing process highlights areas for improvement and positive outcomes, with an efficiency audit built into the response plan to ensure efficient application.
Mr Piccolo added that PIRSA's commitment to continuous improvement through after-action reviews further strengthens South Australia's biosecurity management.
Mr Piccolo said the primary industries sector, along with the associated processing sectors, also supported 78,000 FTE jobs during 2022/23.
“As we can see, a robust and resilient primary industries sector is vital to our state's economy and wellbeing, and a strong biosecurity system is critical to underpinning its productivity and profitability."
As South Australia continues to face increasing biosecurity pressures, the new Biosecurity Act provides a framework for proactive and effective biosecurity management, protecting the state's primary industries, environment and community.