The new Biosecurity Act 2014 has
been recently passed by Parliament and will replace the Quarantine Act 1908 in
mid 2016. The old Quarantine Act was originally designed to protect us
from outbreaks of small pox and the bubonic plague. The old Act had been
amended on numerous occasions, but the new risks that we face are very
different these days and so the new Act is designed for more effective
management of modern risks.
Queenslanders will need to report
unusual events that might be related to biosecurity, for example, abnormally
high mortality or morbidity rates in animals and sudden unexplained falls in
production. They will also have obligations for registering some animals
and reporting their movements to allow for disease tracing. The new Act
will improve Queensland's biosecurity preparedness and response capabilities to
assist rural property owners.
If you have any questions, please contact
Jade Hayman from the Rural Mining & Gas Team at Rees R & Sydney Jones
Solicitors.