National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement

The National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement (NEBRA) establishes the national arrangements for responding to an incursion of exotic pests and diseases that impact on the environment and our way of life.

The NEBRA (version 1.0) was first signed by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments in January 2012.

The most current version of the NEBRA (version 2.0) commenced in March 2021 and incorporates changes that arose from the first 5-year review of the agreement.

National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement 2.0

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Review of the NEBRA

A review of the functioning of the NEBRA is initiated no more than 5 years from its commencement and every 5 years thereafter. Recommendations arising from the review may inform amendments to the NEBRA or guide its future implementation, thereby enhancing Australia’s capability to respond to environmental biosecurity threats.

Version 1 of the NEBRA was reviewed in 2017 and a review of version 2 of the agreement commenced in 2025.

2025 review of the NEBRA

The second 5-year review of the NEBRA is now underway. Public consultation was undertaken with all stakeholders from February 2026 to mid April 2026. This included the option for stakeholders to provide a written submission through the NEBRA Review Have Your Say page. A final report on the review will be provided to the National Biosecurity Committee and Australian Agriculture Ministers in mid-late 2026.

2017 review of the NEBRA

The first independent review of the implementation and effectiveness of the NEBRA was undertaken in 2017. A key outcome of the review was the development of the revised NEBRA (version 2.0), which has been endorsed by the National Biosecurity Committee (NBC). You can find more information on the 2017 NEBRA review at 2017 review of the National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement.

The NEBRA Custodian

The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, in its role as the custodian of the NEBRA, assists emergency response committees by providing guidance and interpretation on the agreement and plays an administration role for cost sharing parties during the life of an emergency response. The Custodian is also responsible for reviewing, maintaining and updating the NEBRA.

The custodian is available to assist with general matters as they relate to the NEBRA and can be contacted at NEBRA@aff.gov.au.

National decision making during a response

In the event of an emergency response, the following national committees are convened under the NEBRA and support collaborative decision making.

National Management Group (NMG)

The NMG is the peak, national biosecurity decision-making forum in the event of an incident of a pest or disease. The NMG determines if the pest or disease is nationally significant, and if eradication is technically feasible and cost beneficial. The NMG will also consider the response plan for eradication and its associated costs.

The NMG is comprised of representatives from the Commonwealth and each state and territory government. Representatives from non-Government Entities may form part of the membership where agreed by the NMG and providing the non-Government Entity contributes to the funding of the national response.

National Biosecurity Management Consultative Committee (NBMCC)

The NBMCC is the name given to the committee that provides technical and expert advice to the NMG. The NBMCC supports determinations on whether a national eradication response is recommended.

This consultative committee is formed when an incident occurs and is comprised of members with appropriate expertise for the incident. The Consultative Committee on Introduced Marine Pest Emergencies (CCIMPE) is the technical committee that advises the NMG in relation to marine pest incursions being considered under the NEBRA.

Current outbreaks under the NEBRA

Current pest and disease outbreaks that are being managed by a national eradication response program under the NEBRA are listed on the Outbreak website. This website also includes national eradication responses being managed under other emergency response arrangements such as the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed and the Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement.

Annual closure of incidents considered by the NMG

Incidents that are referred to the NBMCC and have not meet the criteria under the NEBRA have been considered and closed by the NMG on an annual basis. These incidents are not eligible for a nationally cost shared eradication response under the NEBRA.

Incidents that do not meet the NEBRA criteria may not always require ongoing activities or in some cases may be under a management plan or an eradication program lead by the jurisdiction where the incident is located. These details can be found on state and territory biosecurity websites.

A list of annual Incidents resolved by the NBMCC and the NMG under the NEBRA is available for download below.

Download

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Contact

For further information, please contact the NEBRA Custodian.