Biosecurity Act 2015
The Biosecurity Act came into effect on 1 July 2017 and replaced all or part of 14 other Acts including the Noxious Weeds Act 1993.
The Biosecurity Act 2015 is managed by the NSW Government-Department of Primary Industries. The Biosecurity Regulation 2017, instruments, policies and procedures that underpin the Biosecurity Act 2015 and provides the regulatory framework to effectively respond to and manage biosecurity risks such as weeds.
The Biosecurity Act 2015 streamlines and modernises the way weeds are managed in NSW as it:
- Imbeds the principle of shared responsibility for biosecurity risks (including weeds) across government, community and industry;
- Applies equally to all land in the state regardless of whether it is publicly or privately owned (tenure neutral);
- Is premised on the concept of risk so that weed management investment and response is appropriate to the risk and
- Supports regional planning and the management of weeds.
In keeping with the premise that biosecurity is a shared community responsibility, the Act introduces the legally enforceable concept of a General Biosecurity Duty.
General Biosecurity Duty-Outcome is to Prevent, Eliminate and Minimise Biosecurity Risks (Weeds)
- Any land managers and user of land have a responsibility for managing weed biosecurity risks that they know about or could be reasonably expected to know about
- Applies to all land within NSW and all waters within the limits of the state
- The Northern Tablelands Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan 2017-2027 provides guidance on the outcomes expected to discharge your duty for the priority scheduled weeds in the Plan for the Authority’s area.
Related Legislation
