Gympie Region Biosecurity Plan
The Gympie Region Biosecurity Plan provides a guide for invasive species management in the region. It supports the Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014 by promoting a coordinated approach to the management of invasive plants and animals. This plan is based on the idea that biosecurity in the Gympie region is everyone’s responsibility, and we will achieve the best outcomes if we all work together. An extension to the Gympie Region Biosecurity Plan (2018-2022) has been approved by Council, which will be in use until the new biosecurity plan is adopted. Click here to view the plan.
All landowners, managers, users and the general public have a General Biosecurity Obligation (GBO) to manage the risks associated with Biosecurity Matter (pest plants/animals and diseases) that they may encounter or interact with. View this short video to better understand what this means - https://youtu.be/b5w4J0iIN9k
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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 to view the policy.
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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.
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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).
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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 to view the Guideline.
Diseases Preparedness
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. Cick here to visit their website.
Biosecurity Concerns:
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African Swine Fever
An infectious viral disease that is lethal to domestic and feral pigs.
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Lumpy Skin Disease
Viral disease of cattle and water buffalo that can result in animal welfare issues and significant production losses.
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Varroa Mite
A pinhead sized parasite of honey bees. If left untreated, these mites kill honey bee nests and hives.
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Foot and Mouth Disease
A highly contagious viral infection of domestic and wild animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, camelids and deer
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Avian Influenza
A highly contagious viral infection of birds, including poultry.
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