The project aims to evaluate the performance of Australia's quarantine risk analysis systems. As is necessary for the validation of any system, ensuring that these risk assessment systems are performing as well as possible requires an objective analysis and review. There are two fundamental questions that will be addressed in this project. First, have these risk analysis systems performed effectively to date? Second, can they be improved, and if so, how?  

What is the biosecurity probem?

Due to its relative isolation, Australia has not been subject to many of the invasive and damaging animal and plant pests, pathogens and diseases that are endemic in many other countries. This highlights the importance of Australia's risk assessment procedures in preventing incursions of species that are potentially extremely damaging to trade and the environment.

 

Australia makes use of two formal instruments to evaluate risk. Import risk assessments (IRAs) deal with the risks associated with a particular pathway e.g. the import of fruit from a specific country and the suite of possible pests and diseases associated with that pathway. Pest risk assessments (PRAs) deal with a specific pest or disease and consider what threat it poses in terms of risk of entry and establishment, and its potential consequences if it does establish and spread. Additionally, there are a range of other procedures (for example, assessments made by the Interstate Plant Heath Assessment Group), where impact predictions are made.

 

As is necessary for the validation of any system, objective analysis and review are required to ensure that these risk assessment systems are performing as well as possible.

The main outputs of this project are to:

• provide an understanding of the strengths of Australia's risk analysis systems and a capacity to recommend where Australia's IRA approaches may be strengthened.

Who will be the end-users of this research?

Biosecurity Australia