Does On-farm biosecurity record-keeping + reporting apply to agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses?

On-farm biosecurity record-keeping + reporting. Biosecurity duties on farms come from two levels of law. The Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cth) manages the risks of goods, conveyances and people entering, leaving or moving within Australian territory, while each state and territory runs its own biosecurity law covering what happens on the property, including a list of notifiable animal diseases.

Trigger: Seeing signs or symptoms of a disease on the relevant state or territory's notifiable list, unusual sickness or deaths in animals, or an unusual plant pest, weed or disease, even when unsure.

Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 34 of those industries the answer for "On-farm biosecurity record-keeping + reporting" is no. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is one of the 1 where the answer is different: yes.

The deciding fact for agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses: Industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing.

About the industry: Primary producers covered by the Pastoral Award and biosecurity / chemical use regulation.

Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing).

Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in agriculture, forestry & fishing with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.

When due

Report straight away through the relevant hotline or state authority, then follow the outbreak protocol and any directions given by government officers.

Evidence to keep

Farm biosecurity plan; the current notifiable disease list for each state in which the business operates; record of each report made (date, time, hotline, reference) and of actions taken under the outbreak protocol; animal health, treatment and movement records; staff briefing on how to recognise and report emergency diseases.

Maximum penalty

Penalties for failing to report a notifiable disease, and for breaching movement or other directions, are set in each state and territory's biosecurity legislation and vary by jurisdiction

Regulator

See source

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth (national)

• Use AgVet chemicals in accordance with the APVMA label + state CUP: Yes
• EPBC Act — assess + approve controlled actions affecting MNES: Only if
• Food and Grocery Code of Conduct (now mandatory): Only if
• Maintain Hazardous Chemicals Register + manifest (WHS Reg): Yes
• Notify + remediate contaminated land (state): Only if
• Animal Welfare Standards + Guidelines — Land Transport of Livestock: Only if
• All 15 answers for agriculture, forestry & fishing