Biosecurity Act 2015 (No. 61, 2015).

The objects of this Act, consisting of 645 sections divided into eleven Chapters, are the following: (a) to provide for managing the following: (i) biosecurity risks; (ii) the risk of contagion of a listed human disease; (iii) the risk of listed human diseases entering Australian territory or a part of Australian territory, or emerging, establishing themselves or spreading in Australian territory or a part of Australian territory; (iv) risks related to ballast water; (v) biosecurity emergencies and human biosecurity emergencies; (b) to give effect to Australia’s international rights and obligations, including under the International Health Regulations, the SPS Agreement and the Biodiversity Convention.
The Act is divided as follows: Chapter 1 includes preliminary provisions. Chapter 2 deals with managing risks to human health (only dealing with human diseases that are listed in a legislative instrument) by imposing a human biosecurity control order on an individual who may have a listed human disease. Chapter 2 includes requirements in relation to persons entering or leaving Australian territory, and rules relating to managing deceased individuals. Chapter 3 deals with managing biosecurity risks in relation to goods that are brought into Australian territory from outside Australian territory, becoming subject to biosecurity control when entering the Australian territory. Biosecurity measures may be required to reduce that risk. Chapter 3 provides a mechanism for prohibiting certain goods from being brought or imported into Australian territory, including provisions dealing with biosecurity import risk analyses and import permits. Chapter 4 deals with managing biosecurity risks in relation to aircraft and vessels that enter Australian territory from outside Australian territory. Powers may be exercised to assess the level of biosecurity risk associated with, and measures may be required to reduce that risk. Chapter 4 provides for a scheme to deal with ship sanitation for the purposes of the International Health Regulations. Chapter 5 deals with the ballast water and sediment of certain vessels. It requires reporting of intended or actual discharges of ballast water in Australian seas. The Chapter also includes provisions for ballast water management plans and certificates, record‑keeping obligations and powers to ensure compliance. Chapter 6 deals with managing biosecurity risks (other than those covered by Chapter 3 or 4) posed by diseases or pests that may be in or on goods or premises in Australian territory. The Chapter provides for powers to be exercised to monitor, respond to and control those risks. Chapter 7 provides for arrangements to be approved authorising and requiring biosecurity industry participants to carry out activities to manage biosecurity risks associated with goods. Chapter 8 provides for the Governor‑General to declare biosecurity emergencies and human biosecurity emergencies. Chapter 9 gives officers powers to ensure people are complying with this Act, to investigate non‑compliance and to enforce this Act by means such as civil penalties, infringement notices, enforceable undertakings and injunctions. Chapter 10 deals with matters relating to governance and officials, including provisions relating to the functions and powers of the Director of Biosecurity, the Director of Human Biosecurity, biosecurity officers, biosecurity enforcement officers, chief human biosecurity officers and human biosecurity officers. Chapter 11 includes miscellaneous provisions.