A NSW Government website

Our role in biosecurity

We play a crucial role in ensuring that the legislative and policy settings are in place to support the best practice management of biosecurity risks. We work with other jurisdictions to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from biosecurity incursions and incidents.

We work alongside our local delivery partner, Local Land Services, and the industry to educate the community, land managers, and other stakeholders about how to achieve good biosecurity outcomes and manage and mitigate pests, diseases, and weeds.

We develop statewide strategies and tools to help people manage their biosecurity risks and support compliance and enforcement activities.

Our world-class diagnostic and research facilities underpin biosecurity research and innovation, leading national programs that drive continuous improvement in biosecurity outcomes.

We are also the combat agency for biosecurity emergencies in the state.


Legislation

The Acts and supporting instruments to support the governance and administration of biosecurity in NSW.

Emergency management

We help you prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from biosecurity threats, natural disasters and other emergencies.

Laboratory services

Our laboratories provide trusted testing services in chemistry, animal health and plant health.


Biosecurity Policies and Procedures


Policies

Accreditation of Biosecurity CertifiersCompliancePDF, 164.1 KB
Appointment of authorised analystsCompliancePDF, 181.2 KB
Appointment of Biosecurity Auditor PolicyCompliancePDF, 293.1 KB
Aquatic biosecurity pests and diseasesAquatic pests and diseasesPDF, 122.9 KB
Chemically affected food-producing animals, animal food commodities and stock foodAnimal foodPDF, 208.0 KB
Collection, use and disclosure of informationGeneralPDF, 108.3 KB
Emergency powersCompliancePDF, 164.1 KB
Endemic diseases of animalsAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 253.8 KB
Fertilisers, liming materials and trace elementsChemicals in food animals and animal productsPDF, 217.2 KB
Livestock TraceabilityAnimal foodPDF, 87.6 KB
Management of animal biosecurity in NSWAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 201.1 KB
Management of non-indigenous animals - Prohibited registrable dealingsInvasive speciesPDF, 290.6 KB
Managing notifiable and established plant pests and diseasesPlant pests and diseasesPDF, 66.6 KB
NSW - Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD) obligationsPlant pests and diseasesPDF, 166.8 KB
Point of Care Tests for Prohibited MatterAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 138.3 KB
Prohibited matter - pests and diseases of animalsAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 242.1 KB
Surveillance for diseases of animals and aquatic pestsAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 240.3 KB
Triaging plant pests and diseasesPlant pests and diseasesPDF, 133.1 KB
Complaint handling and investigationsCompliancePDF, 476.5 KB
Biosecurity Audit FrequencyCompliancePDF, 340.5 KB
Online trading of biosecurity matterGeneralPDF, 152.0 KB
DPIRD Weeds Biosecurity Policy 2025Animal pests and diseasesPDF, 2.6 MB

Procedures

Accreditation of biosecurity certifiersCompliancePDF, 139.6 KB
Approval of an accreditation authority procedureCompliancePDF, 266.3 KB
Anthrax managementAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 752.3 KB
Aquatic fieldwork hygieneAquatic pests and diseasesPDF, 268.3 KB
Aquatic pests and diseases - responding to reportsAquatic pests and diseasesPDF, 243.8 KB
Australian bat lyssavirusAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 251.1 KB
Authorised analystCompliancePDF, 254.3 KB
Biosecurity auditsCompliancePDF, 249.9 KB
Biosecurity certificatesCompliancePDF, 352.1 KB
Biosecurity Compensation ProcedureCompliancePDF, 379.3 KB
Biosecurity directionsCompliancePDF, 483.9 KB
Biosecurity permitsCompliancePDF, 277.7 KB
Biosecurity registrationsCompliancePDF, 230.1 KB
Biosecurity undertakingCompliancePDF, 296.9 KB
Biosecurity – Management of Japanese encephalitisAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 177.2 KB
Bovine CysticercosisAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 410.4 KB
Brucella suis in dogsAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 214.8 KB
Cattle abattoirs and knackeriesNLISPDF, 501.4 KB
Chemical trace back investigationAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 595.5 KB
Collection, use and disclosure of informationAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 352.8 KB
Destruction, sale and disposal of things under the Biosecurity Act 2015CompliancePDF, 311.9 KB
Emergency powersCompliancePDF, 405.1 KB
Fees and chargesCompliancePDF, 102.7 KB
Fertiliser, liming materials and trace elementsChemicals in food animals and animal productsPDF, 140.7 KB
Freshwater Fish Incursion Response ProcedureAquatic pests and diseasesPDF, 170.8 KB
Hendra virus investigation and managementAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 493.2 KB
Highly pathogenic avian influenzaAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 214.2 KB
Livestock movements in emergencies – NLIS and General Biosecurity DutyNLISPDF, 192.8 KB
Lead affected food producing animals in NSWAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 450.8 KB
Management of Non-Indigenous Animal IncursionInvasive speciesPDF, 734.7 KB
Management of Priority Pests Under the Biosecurity Act 2015Invasive speciesPDF, 192.4 KB
Managing significant endemic diseases of animalsAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 397.8 KB
National Organochlorine Residue Management ProgramAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 164.5 KB
NLIS - CattleNLISPDF, 347.3 KB
NLIS - Compliance procedures for property identification codesNLISPDF, 240.6 KB
NLIS - Compliance MonitoringAnimal foodPDF, 180.0 KB
NLIS - Managing statuses, errors and data transfers on the NLIS databaseNLISPDF, 878.8 KB
NLIS - Permanent identifiers for pigs (special circumstances)NLISPDF, 246.3 KB
NLIS - PigsNLISPDF, 275.9 KB
NLIS - Procedures for assigning identification codes and for managing and accessing registersNLISPDF, 590.4 KB
NLIS - Procedure for Cattle, Sheep and Goat Abattoirs and KnackeriesAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 368.9 KB
NLIS - Sheep and goatsNLISPDF, 427.4 KB
NLIS - Supply of approved identifiersNLISPDF, 197.1 KB
Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome incursion responseAquatic pests and diseasesPDF, 176.3 KB
Parthenium weed carrier inspectionWeedsPDF, 378.4 KB
Pests and diseases of animals – investigation and alert phase of an emergency responseAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 483.7 KB
Porcine brucellosis in domestic pigsAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 1005.2 KB
Processing permit applications and renewal applications for prohibited dealingsInvasive speciesPDF, 303.0 KB
Prohibited pig feedAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 1.8 MB
Reporting notifiable pests and diseases of animals and biosecurity eventsAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 303.0 KB
Reporting plant pests and diseasesPlant pests and diseasesPDF, 216.2 KB
Responding to carp fishing and control enquiries from external stakeholdersAquatic pests and diseasesPDF, 209.4 KB
Salmonella Enteritidis in the commercial layer and egg industryAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 1.4 MB
Seizure of Things under the Biosecurity Act 2015CompliancePDF, 278.1 KB
Stock foods reportingAnimal foodPDF, 200.7 KB
Tick feverAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 234.5 KB
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy freedom assurance programAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 243.1 KB
Procedure - virulent footrot in sheep and goatsAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 257.0 KB
Wildlife biosecurity co-management of pests and diseases of wildlifeAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 389.4 KB
Use of PoCT for prohibited matterAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 144.5 KB
Validation of PoCT for prohibited matterAnimal pests and diseasesPDF, 389.6 KB


Factsheets on the Biosecurity Act


Biosecurity Act 2015 factsheets

These factsheets provide an overview of key elements and principles of the Biosecurity Act, summary of management tools and management arrangements for a range of biosecurity risks. More detailed information is available in the Biosecurity Regulation 2017, Biosecurity Order (Permitted Activities) 2019 and other documents at Biosecurity legislation.


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