Review program | Inspector-General of Biosecurity

The Inspector-General will provide her review program on a rolling two-year basis, with a yearly revision of proposed topics. The Inspector-General may choose to alter the program at any time should circumstances result in priorities changing.

In the development of this review program, the Inspector-General consulted with the Director of Biosecurity and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as required by the Biosecurity Act 2015. Consultation also occurred with a range of biosecurity stakeholders.

Following this consultation and after careful consideration, the following review topics have been selected for the 2026–2027 period.

The scopes outlined below are not final and will be refined before each review starts.

2026

Topic	Scope	Timeframe
Documentation requirements for biosecurity assessment	This review will examine whether: documentation requirements are supporting risk assessment and regulatory compliance stakeholders can reliably interpret, and complete documentation as intended, including where third parties may have limited technical expertise risks, gaps, ambiguities or unintended burdens arising from current documentation practices are understood and appropriately managed	Starting first quarter 2026
Assessing the use of technology for managing biosecurity risks	This review will examine: technologies in use across pre-border, border and post-border stages gaps and opportunities for improved risk management and operational efficiency alignment of technology reforms with biosecurity objectives and risk priorities staff and industry adoption, capability and support performance monitoring and assurance measures resourcing and ongoing maintenance arrangements for technology investments.	Starting 2^nd quarter 2026
Management of biosecurity risk across the biosecurity continuum	This review will consider: risk-based decision-making across the biosecurity continuum from Biosecurity Import Risk Analyses (BIRA) through to intervention decisions the governance of the national biosecurity framework and whether risk decisions are being made using a systems‑based approach guidance and training regarding risk-based decision-making.	Starting mid 2026
Incursion preparedness	This review will examine: the department’s capability to manage an immediate biosecurity incursion, including its ability to redirect staff activities in a surge condition the adequacy of data and digital enablement for operational decision-making, including analytics, system integration, and data sharing with jurisdictions and industry stakeholder engagement and shared responsibility arrangements, including industry readiness, cost-sharing processes and First Nations engagement readiness to apply legislative triggers and emergency powers under Commonwealth and state frameworks	Starting early 4^th quarter 2026
Independent assessment of assurance frameworks and biosecurity oversight	The purpose of this review is to provide an independent, evidence-based assessment of the department’s assurance arrangements over its biosecurity regulatory functions. The review will take a whole-of-system approach to highlight any process gaps or duplication and ensure assurance is applied across the entire operating environment.	4^th Quarter 2026

2027

The below topics will be reviewed during the 4^th quarter of 2026 to ensure to ensure the topics selected still reflect priorities and the operational environment.

Topic	Scope	Timeframe
Review of training frameworks supporting biosecurity functions and regulatory capability	The purpose of this review is to provide an independent, evidence-based assessment of the training provided to frontline biosecurity staff undertaking regulatory activities at the border. This review will focus only on training that directly affects biosecurity regulatory capability.	TBC 4^th Quarter 2026
Review of laboratory capability and compliance for biosecurity	This review seeks to determine how effectively the department endorsed laboratories are operating and whether they are positioned to meet current and future demands.	TBC 4^th Quarter 2026
Independent assessment of assurance frameworks and biosecurity oversight	The purpose of this review is to provide an independent, evidence-based assessment of the department’s assurance arrangements over its biosecurity regulatory functions. The review will take a whole-of-system approach to highlight any process gaps or duplication and ensure assurance is applied across the entire operating environment.	TBC 4^th Quarter 2026
Biosecurity risk management of the self‑assessed clearance (SAC) cargo pathway	The goal of this review is to assess how the department manages biosecurity risks in the SAC pathway, particularly given the rapid increase in volume due to low-value e-commerce packages	TBC 4^th Quarter 2026
Biosecurity assurance of offshore treatment providers	The purpose of this review is to assess the effectiveness of the department’s offshore treatment provider programs. The review will also identify practical options to strengthen the programs and consider remote monitoring practices.	TBC 4^th Quarter 2026