Partnerships

​The Australian Government is committed to protecting our biosecurity system. As we find ourselves in an increasingly dynamic environment, the need to manage the whole biosecurity continuum onshore, at the border and offshore is of increasing importance.

Our relationships with other Government departments are critical to the success of these activities. To this end, the department is involved in a number of partnerships which include:

• Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Health
  • Coordination on imported food issues between Food Standards Australia New Zealand and the department.
• Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service
  • Information sharing arrangements
  • Collaboration on issues relating to international mail
  • Air and sea cargo operations
  • Information and communications technology
  • Passenger and crew processing at international and minor airports
  • Sea traveller processing at cruise terminals and wharf side
• National Biosecurity Committee
  • Membership list
  • National Biosecurity Emergency Preparedness Expert Group
  • Working group documents
• Intergovernmental agreement on biosecurity
  • The agreement
  • National environmental biosecurity response agreement
•  Steering Committee for the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program
• Sustainable Biosecurity Funding Advisory Panel

These activities together work to strengthen the partnerships between the Commonwealth and key stakeholders to improve the national biosecurity system.

In addition, the Australian Government also works with overseas government agencies to manage biosecurity risks before they reach Australia. These partnerships are strengthened through initiatives such as:

• International Cargo Cooperative Biosecurity Arrangement
• Quarantine Regulators Meeting
• Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme

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