State Parliament has passed the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act, which Agriculture Minister Kim Chance will improve the government's ability to manage biosecurity risks.
State Parliament has passed the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act, which Agriculture Minister Kim Chance will improve the government's ability to manage biosecurity risks.
The full text of an announcement from Mr Chance's office is pasted below
Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance today announced that State Parliament had passed the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007, designed to protect Western Australia's agricultural sector.
Mr Chance said the BAM Act was an important piece of legislation for WA and would improve the ability of the State to manage, prevent and contain biosecurity risks, which included pest plants and animals as well as diseases such as Equine Influenza.
"The key objective of the legislation is to prevent new animal and plant pests and diseases from entering WA, as well as managing the impact, and limiting the spread, of those already present in the State," he said.
"The BAM Act will also help to safely manage the use of agriculture and veterinary chemicals and ensure agricultural products are not contaminated with chemical residues."
The recent outbreak of Equine Influenza has highlighted how incursions of plant and animal pests or diseases can be very serious for WA's vital agricultural and livestock industries.
"The BAM Act is vital as the State's plant and animal-based primary industries alone are worth $6.1billion annually to the economy and contribute $4.8billion to the State's export earnings," the Minister said.
"There are also many harmful pests and diseases that could have serious adverse effects on WA's environment, its biodiversity and the well-being of our people, if not adequately managed."
Mr Chance said the BAM Act would require several State Government agencies, in particular the Departments of Agriculture and Food, Fisheries, and Environment and Conservation to collaborate closely to ensure a comprehensive and effective biosecurity system was in place for WA.
"The implementation of the Act and the requirements of the biosecurity system will be overseen by a Biosecurity Council, which will replace the Agriculture Protection Board as the principal source of advice on biosecurity issues," he said.
"The regulations which are necessary to bring the Act into effect will be developed in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders."
