You do not need to know about all biosecurity risks, but you are expected to know about those associated with your land management activities. The general biosecurity obligation means you need to ensure your activities do not spread a pest, disease or contaminant. Your responsibilities are:

• Take all reasonable and practical steps to prevent or minimise each biosecurity risk;
• Minimise the likelihood of the risk causing a biosecurity event and limit the consequences of such an event; and
• Prevent or minimise the adverse effects the risk could have and refrain from doing anything that might exacerbate the adverse effects.

A biosecurity risk exists when you deal with any pest, disease or contaminant, or with something that could carry one of these. This includes, for example, moving diseased plant material, or associated soil or equipment, off a property. A biosecurity event is caused by a pest, disease or contaminant that is, or is likely to become, a significant problem for human health, social amenity, the economy or the environment.

Prohibited matter and restricted matter replace the declared pest classes under the Biosecurity Act 2014. Your land management systems should have strategies in place to manage invasive plants and animals. You can refer to your local government area biosecurity plan as a starting point, but the basis of your strategy should be the prevention of an invasive pest escaping, being carried off, or being introduced to your property.

The prohibited matter is a disease, exotic fish, insect pest, pest animal or a weed that is not found in Queensland. If it was to enter Queensland it would seriously impact our health, way of life, the economy and the environment.

Restricted matter can be animal disease, noxious fish, insects, pest animals or weeds that are found in Queensland. Specific actions are required to be taken that limit the impact of this matter by reducing, controlling or containing it.

If you find prohibited matter you must report it immediately to Biosecurity Queensland. You also have an obligation to report some restricted matter.
While prohibited biosecurity matter is illegal and not found in Queensland, restricted biosecurity matter may already be widely spread across Queensland but still needs to be contained. There are 7 restricted categories as follows.

If you find prohibited matter you must report it immediately to Biosecurity Queensland. You also have an obligation to report some restricted matter. While prohibited biosecurity matter is illegal and not found in Queensland, restricted biosecurity matter may already be widely spread across Queensland but still needs to be contained. There are seven restriction categories, as follows:

The Biosecurity Act provides a range of tools and powers that are tailored to the seriousness of the biosecurity threat. They will support responses to anything from emergency disease and pest eradication programs through to established pest and disease management.

Biosecurity emergency orders are primarily emergency actions to isolate and stop the spread of biosecurity matter and where possible, eradicate it.

A movement and control order is used to assist with the management, reduction or eradication of biosecurity matter by prohibiting or restricting the movement of the biosecurity matter or a carrier.

Biosecurity programs are used in non-emergency situations to enable the government to proactively identify and respond to a pest, disease or other biosecurity matter that poses a risk. For example, a surveillance program may be authorised to monitor compliance, or the use of a prevention and control program may prevent the entry or establishment of biosecurity matter in an area.

Biosecurity zones can be established across whole or part of the state to eradicate, reduce or manage a plant or animal pest or disease, or contaminant.

Biosecurity orders may be used to enforce the general biosecurity obligation if a person has failed or may fail to meet their obligations.

Local governments are responsible for ensuring management in their area of invasive plants and animals that are prohibited or restricted matter. You should notify your local council if you find Category 2 restricted matter, so they can investigate the report and respond as per the Biosecurity Plan if required. If you find prohibited matter or Category 1 restricted matter you must report it to Biosecurity Queensland.

Under the Act,  local governments can  appoint an authorised person, with powers of entry to check compliance with the Act or to take action under a biosecurity program.

There are a range of options for local government to promote compliance with the new law. This ranges from community engagement and providing educational material, through to issuing specific biosecurity orders where a person has failed to discharge their general biosecurity obligation, on-the-spot fines, prosecutions and injunctions.