Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) met today with the Inspector-General of Biosecurity (IGB) and senior representatives from the Office of the Inspector-General of Biosecurity to discuss current industry concerns and forthcoming review activity.
During the meeting, the IGB confirmed that a formal review into documentation requirements supporting biosecurity assessment is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2026.
Scope of the Review
The review will examine whether:
- Documentation requirements are effectively supporting biosecurity risk assessment and regulatory compliance;
- Stakeholders are able to reliably interpret and complete documentation as intended, including where third parties may have limited technical expertise;
- Risks, gaps, ambiguities or unintended regulatory burdens arising from current documentation practices are understood and appropriately managed.
The discussion also canvassed a number of practical industry concerns that may be woven into the review framework, particularly where documentation complexity, interpretive inconsistency or system design issues create compliance exposure, operational delays or unnecessary cost.
FTA Engagement
FTA will be engaging closely with the Office of the Inspector-General of Biosecurity throughout the course of the review.
Members will be invited to provide:
- Examples of documentation ambiguity or interpretive inconsistency
- Instances where documentation requirements may exceed biosecurity risk outcomes
- Evidence of delays, rework, increased cost or unintended compliance exposure
- Practical reform suggestions to improve clarity and regulatory effectiveness
Further information on formal consultation processes and submission timeframes will be circulated once released by the IGB.
Members are encouraged to begin documenting relevant case studies and operational examples in preparation for consultation.
FTA will continue to advocate for regulatory settings that are risk-based, practical and proportionate, while maintaining Australia's strong biosecurity protections.