Australian Quarantine Review Secretariat Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility

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5.6 INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The Review Committee does not regard Australia's obligations under the numerous international environmental agreements, world health regulations and international trade agreements to be in conflict with each other or conflicting with Australia's quarantine policy. The goal of quarantine (as enunciated in Chapter 2 of this Report) is to prevent the establishment and spread within Australia of exotic pests and diseases that are deemed to have a significant deleterious effect on humans, animals, plants or the natural environment. Quarantine Australia has an opportunity to ensure the implementation of effective quarantine policies that are based on scientific reasoning and are consistent with Australia's international obligations.

A consistent and coordinated strategy is required if Australia is to achieve its objectives fully and effectively in the plethora of international fora. To be of influence, Government officials, in consultation with industry and the community, must develop a clear vision of the directions in which Australia wishes to lead the international debate. The armoury of initiatives for realising this vision should be established on a strong scientific basis, reflect Australia's overall human, animal and plant health policies, and fully use informal and formal domestic and international networks of officials, academics, institutions and industry.
There is a widely held perception, nationally and internationally, that Australia is no longer at the leading edge of the international debate on some methods and standards that have the potential to determine how international agreements affecting quarantine are implemented. Evidence presented to the Review suggests that the attention that Australia once commanded in relevant international fora has diminished. Factors contributing to this decline include reduced resources for the scientific research required to develop sustainable positions, and the time required for positioning players in relevant areas of influence internationally and for engendering confidence and acceptance by other international decision makers.
Unless there is clear recognition that investment of time and resources in these activities is essential to achieving the overall vision, the process will be ineffective. This point was also recognised in the 1996 Senate Committee's report, which concluded that 'it is crucial that AQIS maintain its international liaison activities' (Senate 1996, p. 127). There is little international advantage in a well-constructed contingency plan that effectively controls an incursion of an exotic pest or disease if the method for control and verification is not aligned with international standards or is not accepted internationally. Australian officials should be given the opportunity to take the lead in international fora to ensure that international disciplines, standards and procedures set are at least consistent with, and no more onerous than, those applied within Australia.
As an example of international leadership, New Zealand has taken a positive and aggressive approach nationally to the development of sound principles and methods for undertaking risk analysis, not only in the area of quarantine but across the whole of government. It has dedicated resources to researching and formulating a position on risk analysis supported by definitive science. It has also committed resources to servicing and attending international meetings to influence the debate on the issue in accordance with New Zealand priorities. Officials and others have attained influential positions on international bodies and committees such as in OIE, thus leading and influencing international debate.
Australia once filled this role. For example, through CSIRO Australia has developed internationally recognised expert systems such as CLIMEX and BIOCLIM. Australian quarantine authorities have been innovative in using CLIMEX in some pest risk analyses and using other quantitative methods in setting tolerances for contaminants. Australian authorities should build on their past record and develop new risk assessment methods in concert with other scientifically based organisations and industry. Organisations such as the Bureau of Resource Sciences have an interest in developing as centres of excellence in quantitative quarantine risk analysis and have skills in complex systems analysis and decision support systems (see Section 7.8).
Australia has in the past been able to influence positively the harmonisation of sanitary and phytosanitary issues through its involvement in international organisations such as OIE and IPPC. Australia needs to reassert itself in this role to ensure that the interests of its people, industry and natural environment are fully reflected in international undertakings.
To be effective, sufficient time and effort must be committed to the development of intellectual property within Quarantine Australia to underpin its international leadership activities. In recent times, limited resources and increased workloads have weakened this commitment. Constrained activity in this area is unacceptable if Australia wishes to realise its quarantine objective and achieve full benefits for the Australian community and the natural environment.
Recommendation 25: The Review Committee recommends that greater encouragement and support should be provided by Government to persons with relevant experience in quarantine issues to assume a leadership role internationally.
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships is an excellent example of Australian leadership in addressing an international issue of environmental and quarantine concern — namely, the potential introduction and spread of exotic pests and diseases through ballast water and ship fouling. The Government has used a variety of mechanisms to progress this matter, including:
· developing the Australian Ballast Water Strategy, which was released in December 1995;
· funding CSIRO to establish the Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests;
· supporting the development of international guidelines and other initiatives, especially through the International Maritime Organization;
· including ballast water as an issue in the Commonwealth Coastal Policy; and
· establishing in June 1996 an Australian Ballast Water Management Advisory Council chaired by the Director General of the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management.
The development of a new Annex under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships is particularly important because its introduction will make control measures for ballast water mandatory for shipping worldwide. Some ship owners have already responded by incorporating the current voluntary guidelines developed by AQIS into on-board manuals for use by the Master and crew. The role of AQIS as the lead agency in this important development is commendable and should continue under Quarantine Australia. Ballast water protocols are an excellent demonstration of how international agreements can be used to advance and protect Australia's quarantine interests.
Recommendation 26: The Review Committee recommends that Australia maintain an international leadership role in relation to ballast water management.

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