Protecting the biosecurity of agricultural plant species

Overview

We plan to determine whether Agriculture Victoria effectively prepares for, prevents, manages and responds to plant diseases and pests in Victoria.

Why this is important

In 2020–21 Victoria produced $17.5 billion of agricultural products. This makes the state Australia’s second-largest agricultural producer. 

Victoria is also Australia’s largest producer of food and fibre products. In 2021–22, it produced 26 per cent of Australia’s food and fibre exports.

Plant pests and diseases can threaten Victoria’s agriculture sector. And outbreaks are increasing due to: 

  • climate change
  • more people, goods and vessels coming into the state.

Victoria needs to effectively prepare for, prevent, manage and respond to outbreaks to protect: 

  • the sector’s sustainability
  • the state's access to international markets
  • jobs
  • the environment.

Our 2015 audit, Biosecurity: Livestock, found that Victoria's livestock biosecurity system was weakened because Agriculture Victoria had less financial and staff resources. This increased the risk of a major disease outbreak. 

In 2019 the government funded a $142.5 million 4-year program to expand Victoria’s biosecurity system.

In 2022, Agriculture Victoria released Victoria's Biosecurity Statement. This statement outlines its updated biosecurity strategy, which it plans to release in 2023.

What we plan to examine

This is a reasonable assurance performance audit. 

We will test the effectiveness of Agriculture Victoria's preparedness for an outbreak, threat surveillance and response processes.

We plan to focus on data from 2018 to 2023.

Who we plan to examine

DEECA, including Agriculture Victoria

Timeframe

2023‒24

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