Work program | Inspector-General of Biosecurity

Inspector-General of Biosecurity: 2022–25 review plan

Background

The Inspector-General of Biosecurity (Inspector-General), Dr Lloyd Klumpp commenced in the role on 25 July 2022 for a 3-year term. A review program is required under the Biosecurity Act 2015 (the Act) and details about the 2022–25 program will be published shortly. The recently completed 2021–22 reviews and priority review topics are indicated in the respective tables below.

The Act specifies that the Inspector-General may review the performance of functions, or exercise of powers, by biosecurity officials, including the Director of Biosecurity, who is the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department). This review program is over and above the department’s internal audit and verification programs.

The initial review program is informed by consultations with the department’s executives and key stakeholder representatives, who identified key strategic topics for consideration for review during the Inspector-General’s term of appointment.

Initial Review topics are selected with the assumption that further topics might be identified; that the topics and scope might be modified as further consultation proceeds; and that further reviews might be required as external needs arise, including the requests for specific reviews by the Minister and/or the Director of Biosecurity.

The indicative 3-year work program is presented to the Minister and the Director of Biosecurity.

Completed reviews (2021–22)

Review topic	Accountable implementation of Inspectors-General recommendations (2015‒2021)
Scope	This review: summarised the extent of the department’s response to Inspectors-General recommendations since the passing of the Biosecurity Act 2015, including the current status of recommendations examined the apparent impediments to timely completion of pending recommendations provided a roadmap for implementation of pending recommendations, including the development of an indicative accountability framework
Status	A review report was published in November 2021.

Review topic	Robustness of biosecurity measures to prevent entry of khapra beetle into Australia
Scope	This review considered: pre-border preventative measures to examine international pest prevalence and risk pathways (likely entry routes into Australia), and the adequacy and agility of at border preventative biosecurity controls the adequacy of: focus on pest-specific risk assessment operational pathway threat and vulnerability assessments, scientific and technological capabilities to provide rapid specialist support to frontline biosecurity officers the department’s actions to address the identified weaknesses in at border biosecurity measures to prevent potential entry into and establishment of khapra beetle in Australia
Status	A review report was published in December 2021.

Review topic	Effectiveness of preventative biosecurity arrangements to mitigate the risk of entry into Australia of the serious plant pest Xylella fastidiosa
Scope	This review will consider key preventative biosecurity measures, including: preventative measures to monitor international pest prevalence, risk pathways (likely entry routes) and the adequacy and agility of preventative biosecurity controls the balance of focus on pest-specific risk assessment and operational pathway threat and vulnerability assessment scientific and technological capabilities to provide rapid specialist support to frontline biosecurity officers
Status	A review report was published in July 2022.

Review topic	Efficacy and adequacy of department’s X-ray scanning and detector dog screening techniques to prevent entry of biosecurity risk material into Australia
Scope	This review will examine: the status and performance (efficacy) of the department’s current strategies and scanning technologies deployed at the border to intercept prohibited goods and biosecurity risk materials across major entry routes recent developments in X-ray scanning technology, its application by governments and businesses, and potential opportunities for adoption in co-regulatory arrangements by relevant industries the status and performance of the department’s detector dog program, including comparisons with other detector dog programs within Australia and elsewhere
Status	A review report was published in July 2022.

Review topic	Assurance review for arrangements to import lumpy skin disease live virus and vaccines to CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness
Scope	This assurance review will consider the proposed import processes and compliance controls for the import of lumpy skin disease and vaccine/s. A report will be provided to the Director of Biosecurity and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and published on the Inspector-General’s website.
Status	A review report was published in July 2022.