Australian Quarantine Review Secretariat Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility

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1.3 MEMBERSHIP OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE
1.4 CONDUCT OF THE REVIEW

1.2 TERMS OF REFERENCE

The Review Committee's terms of reference were to:

1) review Australia's animal and plant quarantine policies and programs having regard to:
a) the advantageous animal and plant health status which Australia has and the benefits and costs which flow from preserving that status;
b) Australia's international obligations;
c) trade impact of Australian quarantine policies; and
d) environmental considerations.
2) make recommendations on:
a) any appropriate revisions in Australia's animal and plant quarantine policy framework;
b) revisions to the quarantine risk assessment process, including the potential for greater use of quantitative methods of assessment;
c) the capacity of existing quarantine programs to deliver the requisite level of quarantine protection determined by the Government;
d) the adequacy of existing consultative processes to ensure that industry and community groups are appropriately informed and their views taken into account in policy development and program delivery; and
e) the appropriate balance between cost-recovered and community service funded program elements.
The Review Committee was requested to report to the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy by October 1996.

1.3 MEMBERSHIP OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE

The Australian Quarantine Review Committee comprised four members with extensive scientific, economic and industry experience. The Review Committee members were:

· Emeritus Professor Malcolm Nairn (Chairman)
Professor Malcolm Nairn was Vice-Chancellor of Northern Territory University from 1989 to 1996. His career has spanned more than 30 years in the field of veterinary science, including a period as Dean of the School of Veterinary Studies at Murdoch University.
· Mr Andrew Inglis
Mr Andrew Inglis operates a mixed grain and grazing property in South Australia. He is Chairman of the Grains Research and Development Corporation, a Board Director on the Australian Wheat Board, and Vice-Chairman of the Grains Group of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers.
· Ms Carolyn Tanner
Ms Carolyn Tanner is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Sydney. She has extensive experience in agricultural trade policy and is co-author of the recently published monograph on Farm Policy and Trade Conflict.
· Dr Peter Allen
Dr Peter Allen is Manager of the South Australian Animal and Plant Control Commission. Previously, he was the State Entomologist and then Chief, Animal and Plant Quarantine, in South Australia.
The Review Committee was supported by a small full-time secretariat from the Department of Primary Industries and Energy ¾ Mr Peter Buckland (Chief Executive Officer), Ms Gemma Davis, Dr Mike Nunn and Mr Terry Rule.

1.4 CONDUCT OF THE REVIEW

To meet the reporting date of October 1996, the Review Committee sought written submissions from interested parties by 8 March 1996. Advertisements were placed in all major newspapers including major rural publications. However, partly as a result of the general election in March 1996, some interested parties indicated they needed more time to complete submissions and the deadline was extended to 29 March 1996.

In examining its terms of reference, the Review Committee identified a number of matters that it considered to be fundamental to its deliberations. These key issues were incorporated into an information booklet that was circulated to assist interested parties in preparing their submissions. A total of 1500 booklets were distributed. In addition, letters of invitation to lodge a written submission were directed to the heads of major organisations expected to have an interest in the outcome of the Review.
The Review Committee received a total of 167 written submissions representative of all segments of the Australian community and from across all States. A list of the individuals or organisations that lodged submissions is included in Appendix A. A small number of submissions received on a confidential basis have not been listed.
Faced with a lack of comparable data, the Review Committee commissioned four independent reports into incursions of exotic pests and diseases of animals and plants over the past 25 years. The major conclusions drawn from these commissioned reports can be found in Appendix B. The Review Committee anticipates that the full reports will be released as a discussion paper during 1997 by the Bureau of Resource Sciences.
The Review Committee undertook an extensive series of public hearings and private meetings in May and June 1996, in all capital cities and in selected regional centres throughout Australia. Hearings included meetings with 85 of the individuals and organisations that made submissions, as well as discussions with quarantine staff in each State. Private meetings and discussions were also held with more than 50 interested parties during the hearing process, including several peak industry organisations, State representative bodies of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and officials from relevant departments of all States. Some of the private discussions extended into July and August 1996.
Before and during the public hearing process, the Review Committee inspected quarantine operations in all States, including visits to the Cocos Islands Animal Quarantine Station and to the Torres Strait region, and received briefings from quarantine staff.
In June and July 1996, the Review Committee made brief but comprehensive visits to five other countries to compare quarantine policy and operations. The Review Committee held discussions with government officials and relevant industry representatives in Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United States. The Review Committee was also able to hold discussions with officials of the European Union while they were visiting Canberra on other business.
Media interest was apparent and consistent throughout the Review, particularly during the public hearing process. Many radio broadcasts discussing the Review included interviews with the Chairman of the Review Committee, Professor Malcolm Nairn.

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