The government of the day proposed an Onshore Biosecurity Levy as part of the 2018-19 Federal Budget. This proposal did not proceed. This page provides information on its background and work completed regarding the proposal.
Background
A Biosecurity Imports Levy was a recommendation of the 2017 Independent review of the capacity of Australia’s biosecurity system.
The government at the time announced a commitment to the introduction of a biosecurity levy in the 2018-19 Federal Budget.
Implementation was delayed to allow government to consider feedback from impacted industry sectors on the proposed levy design.
On 11 December 2019, the former Minister for Agriculture announced that the design of an alternative levy would be undertaken in consultation with the importing industry. The levy would be applied onshore to importers who use the biosecurity system.
In response, the department appointed the Onshore Biosecurity Levy Industry Working Group (the working group), which consisted of representatives from key industry sectors including importers, exporters, manufacturers and logistics service providers, to help inform the levy design.
The department undertook a co-design process with the working group to develop a levy model that was practical for industry and the government.
The levy design process highlighted that a levy could not be implemented without significant regulatory impacts on industry and proposed levy payers.
The decision in May 2020 not to proceed with the levy was also made with consideration of the impacts at the time of drought, bushfires and COVID-19 on the Australian economy and the rapidly changing trade environment.
Stakeholder consultation
Onshore Biosecurity Levy Industry Working Group
An industry working group was established in December 2019 to co-design the Onshore Biosecurity Levy.
The Onshore Biosecurity Levy Industry Working Group included peak bodies representing trade and logistics service provider industries.
| Organisation | Name |
|---|---|
| Australian Federation of International Forwarders | Brian Lovell Stuart McFarlane |
| Board of Airline Representatives | Craig Birchall Andrew Curdie |
| Conference of Asia Pacific Express Carriers | Paul Bagnall |
| Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia | Paul Damkjaer Zoran Kostadinoski |
| Export Council of Australia | Dianne Tipping |
| The Australian Industry Group Food and Beverage Importers Association Pet Food Industry Association of Australia |
Carolyn Macgill |
| Freight and Trade Alliance | Clint Latta John Park |
| International Cargo Handling Coordination Association | Peter Van Duyn |
| Shipping Australia | Rod Nairn |
| Manufacturing Australia | Ben Eade |
Industry steering committee
An independent industry steering committee was appointed in February 2019. The committee was required to consult widely with potentially affected parties. This included by inviting submissions.
They delivered recommendations on 1 June 2019, which the former Minister for Agriculture responded to.
Download report
Read the committee’s final report. Released on 10 September 2019.
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
Biosecurity Imports Levy Industry Steering Committee Report PDF |
76 | 4.5 MB |
Biosecurity Imports Levy Industry Steering Committee Report DOCX |
76 | 2.8 MB |
If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Download response
Read the former Minister for Agriculture’s response to the committee’s recommendations. Released on 11 December 2019.
Committee members
The steering committee was led by an independent chair, Mr David Trebeck. It included individuals from shipping and agricultural industries.
| Name | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Paul Zalai | Freight and Trade Alliance |
| Margie Thomson | Cement Industry Federation |
| Mike Gallacher | Ports Australia |
| Michael Sousa | Qube Holdings |
| Rod Nairn | Shipping Australia |
| Brian Lovell | Australian Federation of International Forwarders |
| Tony Mahar | National Farmers’ Federation |
| Peter Gniel | Australian Institute of Petroleum |
| Joel Katz | Cruise Lines International Association, Australasia |
Download terms of reference
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Biosecurity Imports Levy Industry Steering Committee Terms of Reference PDF |
2 | 120 KB |
| Biosecurity Imports Levy Industry Steering Committee Terms of Reference DOCX |
2 | 28 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility.
Report on the Biosecurity Imports Levy
The department engaged independent consultant Pegasus Economics. Their role was to:
- gather views of stakeholders who would be affected by the levy
- identify points of agreement
- outline potential adjustments on the proposed levy.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
|
28 |
540 KB |
This publication was not prepared by the department and may not meet Australian Government accessibility guidelines. If you require an accessible version of the publication, please contact its author.