Australian Quarantine Review Secretariat Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility

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1.6 HISTORY of the ADMINISTRATION OF QUARANTINE
1.7 PREVIOUS Reviews of Quarantine
2. A FRESH APPROACH

1.5 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT

Rather than follow the order of the terms of reference, the Review Committee has structured the Report to emphasise the need for Australians to adopt a broad approach to quarantine. The Report consists of eleven chapters divided into seven parts — covering introduction, fundamental changes, structural organisation, pre-border issues, border issues, post-border issues, and implementation.

The Review Committee believes that the arguments developed in the body of the Report stand on their own merits. However, additional detailed information supplementing particular sections of the Report is included in a series of appendixes. Definitions of key words relevant to this Review are provided in the Glossary.

1.6 HISTORY of the ADMINISTRATION OF QUARANTINE

The Quarantine Act 1908 derives its authority from Section 51(ix) of the Constitution. It was introduced as a result of the States' perception of the need for a comprehensive set of national laws governing the control of infected persons, vessels, goods, animals and plants entering the country from overseas. Before proclamation of the Commonwealth Act, the States had enacted uniform quarantine legislation generally known as the 'Federal Quarantine Acts'. The Commonwealth Act, which was given effect on 1 July 1909, tended to follow the principles embodied in the State legislation. Under the Administrative Arrangements Order of the day, the Act was to be administered by the Department of Trade and Customs. While under Customs administration, the position of Director of Quarantine was created to assume responsibility for policy development in quarantine matters.

With the creation of the Commonwealth Department of Health in 1921, quarantine policy was vested in the health portfolio. Service delivery aspects of animal and plant quarantine continued to be carried out by State departments (as was the case before Federation), while human quarantine services were gradually taken over by the Commonwealth.
The quarantine function remained under the Department of Health's administration until being transferred to the Department of Primary Industry (now the Department of Primary Industries and Energy) in December 1984. The States continued to deliver operational services for quarantine under formal agency arrangements with the Commonwealth until 1995. In 1995, the Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand agreed to transfer service delivery functions from the States to direct Commonwealth control. Operational services in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria have been transferred. Service delivery functions in the care of the other States remain unchanged.

1.7 PREVIOUS Reviews of Quarantine

Many reviews have examined Australia's quarantine services, and an even greater number have examined specific areas of quarantine administration. Activities such as relations with States (including financial arrangements), combined barrier operations with the Australian Customs Service, airport and seaport operations, coastal surveillance, waste disposal, aircraft disinsection, staff training, and the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy have all been examined.

Major reviews of quarantine undertaken during the past 20 years include:
1977 Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet: Review of Australian Quarantine Arrangements (DPMC 1977) — 27 recommendations;
1979 Senate Standing Committee on National Resources: The Adequacy of Quarantine (Senate 1979) — 44 recommendations;
1985 Auditor-General's Efficiency Audit: Reports of the Auditor-General on Efficiency Audits: administration of quarantine services (Auditor-General 1985) — 11 recommendations;
1986 Joint Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts: Administration of Quarantine (JPCMA 1986) — 23 recommendations;
1988 Lindsay Review: Australian Quarantine Requirements for the Future: report of the Quarantine Review Committee (DPIE 1988) — 59 recommendations;
1992 Auditor-General's Efficiency Audit: Efficiency Audit: Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Quarantine Division 1991–92 (Auditor-General 1992) — 69 recommendations;
1995 NAQS Review: Review of The Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy: a report Commissioned by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (Nairn and Muirhead 1995) ¾ 28 recommendations; and
1996 Senate Review: Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. Report of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee (Senate 1996) — nine major recommendations on quarantine issues.
These reviews are significant in terms of their impact on aspects of various quarantine policy and service delivery, and will be referred to from time to time in this Report. In all, these reviews made 270 recommendations relating to quarantine, most of which have been implemented in whole or in part. However, despite the number of reviews and the effect of their recommendations, questions are raised about the adequacy of Australia's quarantine measures to meet changing international circumstances after each major pest or disease incursion.

PART II: A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

2. A FRESH APPROACH

2.1 AUSTRALIAN QUARANTINE

Australians generally benefit from a natural environment that, compared to other countries, is relatively free of many debilitating pests and diseases of humans, animals and plants. This privileged health and quarantine status is of considerable benefit to Australia's export trade. It contributes to Australia's comparative advantage in agricultural production and enhances the marketability of Australian products by virtue of our 'clean, green' image. Benefits accrue not only to the agricultural sector but also to the Australian community as a whole through reduction in the use of chemicals to prevent and control pests and diseases, protection of native flora and fauna, promotion of Australia as a tourist attraction, and enhancement of the quality of life of all Australians.

Quarantine controls are an indispensable element in the maintenance of Australia's privileged human, animal and plant health status and of the regulatory framework that governs trade within and between nations. Effective and efficient quarantine enhances community welfare by safeguarding the community from significant losses associated with the spread of pests and diseases.
Unfortunately, the general public, industry and governments do not appear to have common agreement on the objectives of quarantine, the roles of each stakeholder, and what is realistically achievable by the agency responsible for delivering quarantine policies and programs. Despite a good record in assisting to maintain Australia's favourable human, animal and plant health status, some in the Australian community hold the view that any incursion is a failure on the part of quarantine services.
To ensure that Australia's quarantine policies and programs continue to meet the expectations of the Australian community, the Review Committee believes that there must be some fundamental changes to the quarantine culture in Australia. These changes are discussed in detail throughout this Report, but can be summarised as:
· development of a partnership approach to quarantine policies and programs involving the whole Australian community ¾ the general public, industry and governments;
· establishment of a statutory authority to develop national quarantine policy and ensure national delivery of quarantine services;
· establishment of a more balanced approach to animal and plant health and quarantine by providing additional inputs for plant health and quarantine;
· development of a more formally structured process for conducting risk analyses to provide a scientifically based foundation for a policy of manageable risk;
· acknowledgment of the importance of quarantine to the natural environment;
· expansion of the scope of quarantine by recognising the importance of activities in all three elements of quarantine ¾ pre-border, border and post-border — as a continuum; and
· enhancement of the focus on pre-border and post-border activities of the continuum of quarantine in the achievement of Australia's quarantine goal.

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