New carriers

New carriers have been added and defined, including:

• excavated plants and stumps,
• packaging, containers and coverings, pallets,
• recycled concrete aggregate,
• building waste,
• green waste,
• heavy vehicles.

Be sure to check their definitions in Clause 9 for details.

Controlled movements

The Order defines controlled movements as any of the below movements of a fire ant carrier:

• into the NSW protection zone from the QLD or NSW fire ant infested area
• into the NSW fire ant movement control area from the QLD or NSW fire ant infested areas
• into the NSW fire ant infested area from the QLD fire ant infested area
• into the NSW fire ant infested area from the NSW movement control areas
• between the NSW fire ant movement control areas.

Premises checking exemptions

Premises checking is not required for premises where heavy vehicles, agricultural and horticultural equipment, earth moving equipment, pallets or packaging, containers and covers, green waste and building waste, soil samples, rocks and stones over 20 mm in diameter, recycled concrete aggregate over 20 mm in diameter and indoor potted plants have come from.

Premises treatment changes

Premises that do require treatment only require it within 500m of where a carrier is grown, packed, sourced, stored or held, and only if fire ants have been found in the last 12 months.

Record of Movement exemptions

Record of movement (RoM) declarations are not required for agricultural and horticultural equipment, heavy vehicles, pallets, packaging, containers and coverings, green waste, building waste, soil samples, rocks and stones over 20 mm in diameter, recycled concrete aggregate over 20 mm in diameter, and indoor potted plants.

Biosecurity Certificate exemptions

Biosecurity Certificates are not required for agricultural and horticultural equipment, earth moving equipment, heavy vehicles, pallets, packaging, containers, and covers, green waste, building waste, soil samples, rocks and stones over 20 mm in diameter, recycled concrete aggregate over 20 mm in diameter and indoor potted plants.

Some carriers need to be turned every 21 days

Turning every 21-days is now required for:

• soil, mulch, compost, manure,
• growing media,
• sand,
• rocks and stones under 20 mm in diameter,
• recycled concrete aggregate under 20 mm in diameter,
• coal fines and chitters.

Vehicle and equipment checking

The parts of heavy vehicles, agricultural, horticultural and earth moving equipment that must be checked, clean and free from soil, mulch, compost, manure and growing media before they enter NSW are listed.

Murwillumbah and Wardell movement control areas

Certain requirements for movements of certain fire ant carriers from Wardell and Murwillumbah (previously in Part 3 of the Order) have been moved into a Group Biosecurity Emergency Permit. See Controlled movement from NSW movement control areas below. See the Movement of fire ant carriers section below.

Check the map and the Order and the Permit to ensure you know your biosecurity duties.

Biosecurity is the protection of the economy, environment and community from the negative impacts of pests and diseases, weeds and contaminants.

We can only successfully manage biosecurity when every person plays a part. The idea that biosecurity is a shared responsibility means we all need to do our bit to protect the economy, environment and community from biosecurity threats. It is a concept that is enshrined in NSW legislation and outlined in our NSW Biosecurity Strategy.

For more information on how biosecurity is managed in NSW, see Managing Biosecurity in NSW

Being bio secure means that you:

• Take steps to prevent pests, diseases and weeds from entering NSW and spreading to new areas
• Keep an eye out for pests, weeds and signs of disease
• Report anything unusual to the department
• Participate where you can when we are responding to incursions and biosecurity emergencies.

Breaching the Biosecurity Act

A person in breach of an emergency order is guilty under the Biosecurity Act 2015 of a category 2 offence, for which the maximum penalties are:

For individuals, $1,100,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, a further penalty of $137,500 for each day the offence continues.

For corporations, $2,200,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, a further penalty of $275,000 for each day the offence continues.