Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Cabinet) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Biosecurity Amendment (Enhanced Risk Management) Bill 2021 will amend the Biosecurity Act 2015 to strengthen the management of biosecurity risks to human health posed by maritime and aviation arrivals. It will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the administration of the Biosecurity Act and increase a range of civil and criminal penalties.

The bill will amend provisions relating to human health, equipping human biosecurity officers and biosecurity officers with a strengthened legislative framework to identify, assess and manage human biosecurity risks entering Australia through the maritime and aviation pathways. This will be done by expanding pre-arrival reporting requirements, strengthening penalties for noncompliance and creating a mechanism to make a human biosecurity group direction to identify, assess and manage the risks posed by classes of people who have been, or may have been, exposed to a listed human disease, such as passengers on board a cruise ship.

These amendments address many of the recommendations made by the Inspector-General of Biosecurity in his review of the Ruby Princess incident. The bill will increase the maximum financial penalties that apply to several civil and criminal penalty provisions under the Biosecurity Act concerning managing the biosecurity risks relating to goods. These increases relate primarily to regulated entities such as commercial importers and to operators and persons in charge of aircraft or vessels, all of whom have a particular responsibility to know and understand their obligations under the Biosecurity Act. The increased civil penalties will serve as a deterrent to anyone considering undermining our biosecurity laws, and the criminal penalties will allow appropriate and proportionate punishment for offences under the Biosecurity Act.

The bill also streamlines the processes for making certain determinations specifying prohibited, conditionally non-prohibited and suspended goods, or granting permits based on risk assessments. It also increases efficiency and allows transparency of expenditure on biosecurity related programs and activities by permitting the agriculture minister and the health minister to authorise the expenditure directly through the Biosecurity Act. The passage of the bill will ensure that the biosecurity framework remains effective and responsive in protecting Australia's human, animal and plant health; environment; and economy. This includes ensuring a fit-for-purpose human biosecurity framework that addresses critical challenges identified over the course of Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill will safeguard Australia's economic recovery and human health, both now and into the future.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The original question was that this bill be now read a second time. To this the honourable member for Dobell has moved as an amendment that all words after 'That' be omitted with a view to substituting other words. The immediate question is that the amendment be disagreed to.

Question agreed to.

Original question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.