Biosecurity

The Gympie Region Biosecurity Plan(PDF, 3MB) (the Plan) provides the framework as to how all landowners meet their obligations to reduce biosecurity risks associated with invasive plants and animals (often referred to as weeds and pest animals) that have significant economic, environmental, and social impacts on primary industries, natural ecosystems, and human and animal health.

The management of invasive plants and animals is the shared responsibility of land managers, industry, the community, and all levels of government and any person who deals with biosecurity matter (including having it present on their property) must reduce the risks associated with biosecurity matter that is present on land which they manage, or connected to activities they undertake.

Local government regulates the management of invasive biosecurity matter within their local government boundaries and this plan provides clear guidance on the strategic approach that is being taken and what is expected of Gympie region residents and visitors to fulfill their obligations regarding invasive plant and animal management.

The Plan:

• Lists Gympie region priority invasive plants and animals.
• Sets management goals for priority invasive species.
• Identifies actions that can be taken to meet goals and reduce associated biosecurity risks.
• Informs investment into strategic biosecurity management.
• Details how the plan will be monitored, evaluated, and reviewed.

The Companion to the Gympie Regional Council Biosecurity Plan(PDF, 4MB) (Plan Companion) sets out the framework and strategic decision-making processes that were applied in the development of the Gympie Regional Council Biosecurity Plan (the Plan).

This document presents and validates local government’s approach to invasive plant and animal management and supports strategic and operational decision making.

The Plan Companion provides information on:

• Strategic biosecurity management.
• Supporting strategies and policies.
• Biosecurity plan development.
• Reasonable and practical measures to reduce risk.

The main function of local government under the Biosecurity Act 2014 is to ensure that the invasive biosecurity matter for the local government’s area is managed in compliance with this Act. To achieve this objective, Gympie Regional Council has authorised a ‘Biosecurity Surveillance Program’ for invasive biosecurity matter in the Gympie Region.

Click here(PDF, 188KB) to view the policy.

Council has a region wide biosecurity surveillance program for declared plant and animal species assessed as posing a high biosecurity risk (HBR) to the Gympie region.

The managers of land that contain HBR declared species will be requested to take action to reduce the risk of these pest species spreading and causing impacts to other properties.

Contact Council to report the presence of declared plants and animals that are affecting your land or activities. For the full details on the surveillance program click here(PDF, 585KB).

The Biosecurity Act 2014 provides biosecurity measures to safeguard our economy, agricultural and tourism industries, environment and way of life, from:

• pests (e.g. wild dogs and weeds)
• diseases (e.g. foot-and-mouth disease)
• contaminants (e.g. lead on grazing land).

Your general biosecurity obligation is explained here.

For more info on this legislation visit here.

A register of Biosecurity orders issued throughout Gympie Regional Council is available on request.

Giant Rat’s Tail grass (GRT) includes the four ‘declared’ GRT grasses Sporobolus pyramidalis, S. natalensis, S. jacquemontii, and S. fertilis. In the Gympie region, GRT is a well-established, widespread and abundant weed, which negatively impacts the economy and the environment. GRT management is expensive and time consuming, and control activities are often met with limited success in the long term.

Council management strategies for GRT are based on biosecurity risk, and higher risk situations are prioritised for compliance management actions. Higher biosecurity risk sites are likely to be located where GRT is NOT as widespread and abundant on a regional scale, or where inadequate GRT management will result in GRT being directly spread to areas where GRT is not already widespread and abundant.

This guideline is designed to assist all land users to meet their general biosecurity obligation and to manage the risk of GRT spread onto and across the land they use, and to other properties.

Click here(PDF, 207KB) to view the Guideline.

Livestock owners/managers are encouraged to be prepared, vigilant and on the lookout. The State Hub for information and learning more about emergency animal diseases and how to be prepared has some valuable information.Click hereto visit their website.