Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

The Biosecurity Amendment (Ballast Water and Other Measures) Bill 2017 amends the Biosecurity Act 2015 to further strengthen Australia's biosecurity system and grant further powers to manage biosecurity risk. This bill is consistent with the Australian government's commitment to ensure biosecurity risks are fully managed and biosecurity systems remain effective to changing biosecurity and human health risks.

Protecting our enviable pest and disease status is an ongoing challenge. Biosecurity risks are changing significantly and growing in complexity. In 2014, the CSIRO identified megatrends expected to impact biosecurity in the future, such as growth in global food demand and markets, and increased movement of goods, vessels and people around the world. The government is responding to this challenge. Agricultural industries are a large contributor to the Australian economy and it is essential to protect them and our export markets by keeping them free of pests and diseases. We cannot afford not to.

Commonwealth funding for biosecurity has increased since 2012-13. The total expenditure this financial year for biosecurity is $749 million. This is an increase of $145.5 million, or 24 per cent, since 2012-13. The total investment in biosecurity to date, since 2013-14, is $2.72 billion. This includes funding of up to $200 million under the ag white paper, specifically for the purpose of improving biosecurity. This investment is being used to strengthen biosecurity surveillance, increase scientific capability, improve information systems and analytical capacity, and build community-based engagement.

The bill also builds on the Biosecurity Act 2015, which this government delivered. It focuses on measures in relation to ballast water management for ships and provides additional powers to control exotic vectors carrying harmful human diseases. The ballast water measures will provide additional protection for coastal environments from the risk of marine pest incursion by legislating for the use of more-effective ballast water treatment technologies. These additional powers are needed under the Biosecurity Act to ensure that Australia is not left vulnerable to significant human health risks. The bill seeks to reduce the likelihood of incursions of vectors that could pose human health concerns and provides powers to manage potential incursions when they are detected. The need for these powers is clearly demonstrated by the rising global detections of the mosquito-borne zika virus.

The bill will also position Australia to ratify the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments by introducing a nationally consistent approach to ballast water, in line with the requirements of the convention. We do not lose any powers of control by the ratification. In fact, we gain international consistency in the management of ballast water. The convention was first signed by the Howard government, in 2005. It is an important global initiative involving over 50 countries, representing over 53 per cent of the world's merchant fleet shipping tonnage. Australia was a driving force and played a leading role in the development of the convention, and it is important that we ratify it ahead of its entry into force on 8 September this year to uphold our positive international reputation for biosecurity management. It is worth noting that the convention also makes special provision for the Great Barrier Reef.

Ballast water is now recognised as a major source of the spread of exotic marine pests around the world. Each year, around 200 million tonnes of ships' ballast water is discharged into Australian ports by 18,000 ships visiting from some 600 overseas ports. Australia is particularly vulnerable as many cargo ships arrive here without cargo and, therefore, with a large quantity of ballast water which needs to be discharged when filling ships with our exports to the global marketplace. If the organisms that arrive are surviving the transport and discharge process, they may become established in the environment and populations may flourish. The Northern Pacific sea star, for example, is a major pest introduced into Australia by ballast water.

While Australia has had, since 2001, ballast water management requirements to prevent new marine pests arriving in Australia, domestic movements are not subject to ballast water regulation, excepting for vessels arriving in Victoria from other domestic ports around Australia. This bill will enable a comprehensive set of domestic ballast water management arrangements to be put in place to lower the risk of marine pests being spread through ballast water between parts of our pristine coastline. Ships will be required to have ballast water management plans while in Australian waters and to discharge ballast water in accordance with the convention. This will reduce the risk of invasive marine pests entering Australian waters, as well as between Australian ports. Additionally, it will protect Australia's vulnerable fisheries industries and environment by reducing the risk of potential invasion and of harmful aquatic organisms being introduced into Australia's marine ecosystem. The bill will further strengthen our strong biosecurity system.

With expanding international and maritime trade it is in Australia's interest to implement more-uniform and stringent requirements to manage the risk of vessels introducing marine pests into Australian waters. It is also in Australia's interest to continue to reduce the likelihood of incursions of vectors, such as mosquitoes, that could pose human health concerns, and to provide powers to manage potential incursions when they are detected. These amendments mean there is much less risk of viruses, including viruses such as zika, carried by vectors such as mosquitoes being established. They also mean our unique marine life will be better protected.

Finally, can I reinforce—and reaffirm to Senator Roberts—that the rules around making any changes to the convention will be subject to the usual treaty-making procedures and parliamentary scrutiny. Can I thank the opposition and the crossbench for their support of this bill and commend the bill to the house.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.