Queensland's Biosecurity Act 2014 (the Act) came into effect on 1 July 2016. The Act imposes an overarching general biosecurity obligation on each person to:
- manage biosecurity risks in their control
- prevent biosecurity events from occurring.
This preventative approach relies on everybody adopting a duty of care. We must all take action to prevent or minimise biosecurity risks caused by invasive species.
Prohibited & restricted matter
Under the Act, invasive plants and animals fall into the following categories:
Prohibited matter is a invasive plant or animal that is not known to occur in Queensland
Restricted matter is an invasive plant or animal that exists in Queensland. The Act identifies specific actions to limit the impact of these invasive species. These include reducing, controlling or containing the restricted matter.
The Queensland Government has defined 7 categories for restricted invasive plants and animals.
Biosecurity risk mitigation – responsibilities & obligation
Under the Act, individuals and organisations have been given a general biosecurity obligation (GBO) to take steps to mitigate the risk.
Our GBO means that everyone is responsible for managing biosecurity risk. This risk can exist when dealing with an invasive plant or animal or something that could carry an invasive species. There is an expectation you will know about invasive plants and animals that you could come across as part of your day-to-day activities.
For those invasive species, individuals and organisations conducting activities that pose a biosecurity risk must:
- take all reasonable and practical steps to prevent or minimise each biosecurity risk
- minimise the likelihood of causing a ‘biosecurity event’
- limit the consequences if such an event is caused
- prevent or minimise the harmful effects a risk could have
- not do anything that might make any harmful effects worse
- meet specific obligations outlined in the Act and Regulation (e.g. categories of restricted matter).
Gold Coast Biosecurity Management Plan 2019–2024
The Gold Coast Biosecurity Management Plan 2019–2024 (the Plan) is a statutory requirement of the Act. The Plan highlights our commitment to partnering with stakeholders to reinforce a collaborative approach. It recognises that biosecurity is everybody's responsibility.
The Plan used a risk management-based approach to prioritise invasive plants and animals that occur or are likely to occur within the city. We based our priorities on information gathered from:
- Queensland Herbarium records
- Biosecurity Queensland
- invasive plants and animals mapping data
- internal records.
Our risk assessment considered the following:
- likelihood of entry and establishment in the region
- impact of existing or potential threats to the region
- feasibility of managing the invasive species.
After assessment, we assigned each invasive plant or animal a management objective:
- Prevention: Invasive species does not occur locally. Actions taken to prevent their introduction and establishment.
- Eradication: Invasive species is starting to establish in the region. Actions taken to eradicate it from the city.
- Containment: Invasive species established. Actions taken to contain and slow their spread.
- Asset protection: Invasive species is widespread and can reinfest areas. Actions taken to minimise the invasive species' impact to assets.
- Advice and support: Invasive species are naturalised in the city. Action taken to develop innovative solutions through engagement rather than compliance activities.
Download our Gold Coast Biosecurity Management Plan 2019–2024(PDF, 10MB)
Biosecurity programs
Council of the City of Gold Coast resolved at its 844th meeting on 18 June 2024 to authorise the following programs:
- Council of the City of Gold Coast Surveillance Program for Invasive Plants and Animals 2024–2026(PDF, 480KB)
- Council of the City of Gold Coast Prevention and Control Program for Invasive Plants and Animals 2024–2026(PDF, 521KB).
The programs began on 1 July 2024 and will be in effect until midnight 30 June 2026. Each program will meet its objectives through engagement and compliance activities that follow the priorities listed in the Gold Coast Biosecurity Management Plan 2019–2024. They will involve both proactive and reactive responses to biosecurity risks.