Pests estimated to cost Australia tens of billions over coming decades will now find it much harder to enter the country, thanks to measures announced this week by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
The department is launching AusTreat, a new pre-border biosecurity scheme designed to ensure overseas treatment providers target the right pests with the required treatment.
Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity and Compliance Justine Saunders said AusTreat will enable a more efficient, future-ready biosecurity system to protect Australia from hitchhiker pests like the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB).
“By redirecting resources to higher risk pathways, we can streamline border clearances for industry and consumers.”
“If the department has more confidence in treatments conducted on goods before they arrive in Australia, it reduces the need for manual intervention at our borders,” Ms Saunders said.
AusTreat is a government-to-industry scheme that will replace the existing Offshore BMSB Treatment Provider program and set the conditions for the regulation of pre-border biosecurity treatment providers.
“BMSB threatens our agricultural industries and way of life,” Ms Saunders said.
“It feeds on more than 300 agricultural and ornamental plant species including fruit and vegetable crops.
“It is also a domestic nuisance. It is known to hide in houses in large numbers, exuding its signature stench through our living spaces.”
“AusTreat is a holistic, integrated scheme that is designed to respond quickly by targeting emerging biosecurity pests. In the future, AusTreat could expand to incorporate other existing schemes, as well as measures against future biosecurity risks.”
“This gives us the flexibility to respond to risk changes over time and increase our oversight of treatment providers in other countries.”
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