Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency) Bill 2026

The short answer

Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency) Bill 2026

The Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency) Bill 2026 is a government bill under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio that proposes amendments to the Biosecurity Act 2015 aimed at improving the operational efficiency of Australia's biosecurity framework. According to the official summary on the Parliament of Australia bill page, the bill would require travellers arriving from outside Australian territory to provide biosecurity information or documents at prescribed times and in prescribed manners, thereby supporting the expanded use of technologies such as the digital Australia Travel Declaration. It would also require a notice of intention process for decisions relating to approved arrangements, and make a minor technical amendment. The bill passed the House of Representatives on 13 August 2026: the second reading was agreed to on 12 August, the Federation Chamber reported the bill without amendment on 13 August, and it was read a third time the same day. It is now before the Senate, where it has been referred to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee for inquiry, which was due to report by 28 August 2026. The bill has not yet been enacted.

This is a federal system guide. State constitutions, parliaments and local-government laws can allocate comparable functions differently.

The useful question is not only “what is the rule?” but also “who administers it, which document controls it, and when might it change?” That distinction prevents an accurate general explanation from becoming wrong advice in a particular election, chamber or policy setting.

Evidence review

What the bill proposes

The Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency) Bill 2026 proposes to amend the Biosecurity Act 2015, which is the principal Commonwealth legislation governing how Australia manages the risk of pests and diseases entering, establishing or spreading within Australian territory. The bill's stated purpose, as indicated by its title, is to improve the operational efficiency of biosecurity functions carried out under the Act.

According to the official summary on the Parliament of Australia bill page, the bill would make three main changes. First, it would require travellers arriving from outside Australian territory to provide biosecurity information or documents at prescribed times and in prescribed manners, thereby supporting the expanded use of technologies such as the digital Australia Travel Declaration. Second, it would require a notice of intention process for decisions relating to approved arrangements. Third, it would make a minor technical amendment.

The Biosecurity Act 2015 established a modern regulatory framework for managing biosecurity risks associated with goods, people and conveyances entering Australia. It confers a wide range of powers on biosecurity officials — including biosecurity officers, biosecurity enforcement officers and the Director of Biosecurity — to assess, monitor and respond to biosecurity risks. The Act also imposes obligations on persons involved in activities that may pose biosecurity risks.

Evidence review

Australia's biosecurity system

Australia maintains one of the most rigorous biosecurity systems in the world. The Biosecurity Act 2015, which replaced the Quarantine Act 1908, provides the legislative foundation for managing the risk of exotic pests and diseases. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry administers the Act and oversees biosecurity operations at Australia's borders and within the country.

Operational efficiency in biosecurity is a continuing concern for government and industry. The speed and accuracy of biosecurity clearance processes at ports, airports and mail centres directly affect trade, travel and the agricultural sector. Outbreaks of pests or diseases — such as foot and mouth disease, varroa mite, or khapra beetle — can cause significant economic harm to Australia's agricultural industries and natural environment. The bill is intended to form part of the government's ongoing efforts to maintain and refine the biosecurity system. The digital Australia Travel Declaration, which the bill's traveller measure supports, is intended to improve the accuracy and timeliness of traveller information by replacing a paper arrival card with a digital declaration.

Evidence review

The traveller measure: declarations and the Australia Travel Declaration

The bill's traveller measure is the provision that would most directly touch the public. It would require travellers arriving from outside Australian territory to provide biosecurity information or documents at prescribed times and in prescribed manners. The government has framed this as the legislative underpinning for the expanded use of the digital Australia Travel Declaration, which is designed to give biosecurity officials better and earlier information about what incoming travellers are carrying.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry says that by improving the accuracy and timeliness of traveller information, the digital declaration helps strengthen Australia's ability to identify and manage biosecurity risks. The bill does not itself create a new requirement to declare particular goods; rather, it provides the statutory basis for when and how the required information must be supplied. The Bill's detail remains subject to the text of the amendments and the explanatory memorandum.

Evidence review

The approved arrangements measure

The second main change concerns approved arrangements — arrangements under which industry participants are accredited to manage biosecurity risks themselves, subject to conditions. The bill would introduce a notice of intention process for decisions relating to approved arrangements, which the government has described as improving transparency and fairness for biosecurity industry participants.

A notice of intention process gives an affected party advance notice that a decision is going to be made, so that they can understand the proposed change and respond before it takes effect. The change is procedural rather than a change to the underlying risk framework, and is intended to make the administration of approved arrangements more predictable for businesses that operate under them.

Evidence review

Portfolio and government context

The bill falls under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio. The Explanatory Memorandum was circulated by authority of the relevant minister. Government amendment bills of this nature are typically developed in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and other Commonwealth agencies with biosecurity responsibilities.

The bill is a government bill — meaning it has the support of the executive government and is part of the government's legislative program. Government bills are introduced by ministers and form part of the executive's legislative program; as with all bills, their provisions remain subject to parliamentary scrutiny and potential amendment.

Evidence review

Who would be affected

The bill would primarily affect persons and entities that interact with Australia's biosecurity system. This includes travellers arriving from outside Australian territory, who would be required to provide biosecurity information or documents at prescribed times and in prescribed manners, as well as importers and exporters of goods, shipping and airline operators, customs brokers, agricultural producers, and other industries that rely on biosecurity clearance processes. It would also affect Commonwealth biosecurity officials and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in how they exercise biosecurity functions.

The bill may also have implications for state and territory governments, which share biosecurity responsibilities with the Commonwealth under intergovernmental agreements. Australia's biosecurity system operates under a 'shared responsibility' model involving Commonwealth, state and territory governments, industry and the community.

Evidence review

Parliamentary status and next steps

The bill was introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives on 1 July 2026, and the second reading was moved the same day. Debate resumed on 11 August 2026; the bill was referred to the Federation Chamber, where the second reading was agreed to on 12 August 2026, and the bill was reported back and read a third time on 13 August 2026. The Parliament of Australia lists the bill as having passed the House of Representatives on 13 August 2026 without amendment.

The bill was introduced in the Senate and read a first time on 17 August 2026, with the second reading moved the same day, and the Senate second reading debate continued in the sitting week that followed. As at 12 September 2026 the Parliament of Australia lists the bill as before the Senate, and it has not been enacted.

For the bill to become law, it must pass the Senate and receive Royal Assent from the Governor-General. The commencement provisions would be set out in clause 2 of the bill, and different parts of the bill may commence at different times.

Evidence review

Committee scrutiny

On 2 July 2026 the Senate referred the bill to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee for inquiry and report, with a report due by 28 August 2026. The referral provides an opportunity for detailed scrutiny of its provisions. Stakeholders with an interest in biosecurity — including industry groups, state governments, and scientific organisations — may make submissions to the inquiry; the Selection of Bills Committee identified issues relating to digital rights, data usage, data storage and individual privacy as principal issues for consideration in the referral.

The committee process is a standard part of the parliamentary scrutiny of legislation in Australia. Committee reports can recommend that a bill be passed without amendment, be passed with amendments, or not be passed. The government is not bound to accept committee recommendations, but they often influence the parliamentary debate and may lead to amendments.

Evidence review

Chamber record cross-check

House of Representatives Live Minutes No. 74 for Thursday 13 August 2026 record the bill's final stages in the House. The Deputy Speaker reported that the bill had been fully considered by the Federation Chamber and agreed to without amendment, presenting a certified copy of the bill. The bill was then agreed to, and on the motion of Ms Collins (Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry), by leave, the bill was read a third time at 9:26 am. The record confirms the bill passed the House of Representatives on 13 August 2026 without amendment.

The Live Minutes are a draft working record of proceedings and do not replace the later corrected Hansard or the Votes and Proceedings as the authoritative record.

The Parliament of Australia bill progress record for the bill shows the Senate introduced the bill and read it a first time on 17 August 2026, with the second reading moved the same day, and Senate Hansard for 17 August 2026 records the debate at that stage. The Senate had not passed the bill as at 12 September 2026. Listing, debate, passage and assent are separate events, and readers should use the cited bill history to check each step.

Common questions

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