National Biosecurity Committee

We manage a national, strategic approach to biosecurity in Australia. This includes the effect of pests and diseases on our agriculture, environment, and on community wellbeing.

To support our goals, we:

promote a coordinated and consistent approach to biosecurity between Australian governments
ensure we target risks while still supporting trade and the movement of goods, animals and vessels around Australia
provide advice to the Agriculture Senior Officials Committee

We were established under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity (IGAB). Read more about the role and members of the National Biosecurity Committee (NBC).

Good biosecurity is a huge job. We don’t do this work alone.

Sector subcommittees

Our work is supported by 4 sectoral committees. They:

provide us with policy, technical and scientific advice
coordinate efforts and manage risks in their sector

Discover what they do:

Expert groups

The National Biosecurity Communication and Engagement Network is an ongoing expert group. The terms of reference for the network are set by the NBC.

We also form time-limited groups to provide us with specific advice and deliver key initiatives. Recent groups have looked at information sharing and emergency preparedness.

Task groups

We form task-specific groups for short-term work and initiatives.

Emergency response agreements

We want to ensure a targeted and coordinated response in a biosecurity emergency.

Emergency response agreements set out how we:

prepare for an outbreak
fund and manage our response to an outbreak

Signatories may include Australian, state and territory governments and industry bodies.

Learn more:

Chief officers

We work with Australia’s chief officers to ensure a scientific approach to biosecurity policy. Their role is to protect the health of our plants, animals and environment.