Australian quarantine post the Nairn Review

Abstract

The Commonwealth government has accepted the basic tenets of the report of the Australian Quarantine Review (the ‘Nairn Review’), except for the recommendations to establish a statutory authority. Australia will maintain its existing high standards of quarantine and enhance activities such as community awareness, manageable risk (based on science), protection of Australia’s unique environment, external input to policy formulation, and recognition of the continuum of quarantine (pre‐border, border and post‐border). Greater emphasis will be given to improved consultation in risk analysis, increased monitoring for pests and diseases, and enhanced national preparedness and response capacity (especially for plants and aquatic animals).

The Economics of Quarantine and the SPS Agreement

“…In providing significant funding for quarantine -at a time of overall budgetary stringency -the government demonstrated its commitment to maintaining a strong quarantine system (Tanner and Nunn 1998). Consistent with the government's endorsement of the underlying rationale of the Nairn Review of a 'shared responsibility', two-thirds of the funding has been provided by government, with the remainder being contributed by industry through the application of AQIS's existing full cost-recovery policy.…”

“…Its recommendations were largely adopted (DPIE 1997) and are now in operation (AQIS 1998, Tanner andNunn 1998). The Nairn Review identified a number of fundamental principles that apply to risk analysis in a range of disciplines and recommended that they should also apply to quarantine import risk analysis.…”

“…At the same time, the quarantine system has been strengthened and its focus extended beyond the border. Strengthening the pre-border and post-border elements of the continuum of quarantine is particularly important in managing the quarantine threats inherent in increasing volumes of trade and numbers of tourists (Tanner and Nunn 1998).…”

Exotic pine forestry in the Southern Hemisphere: A brief history of establishment and quarantine practices

“…The Australian Quarantine Act of 1908 is a good example. The Act aimed to 'provide measures for the inspection, exclusion, detention, observation, segregation, isolation, protection, treatmen~, sanit~ry regulation and disinfection of vessels, installations, persons, goods, things, animals or plants and having as their object the prevention ofthe introduction or spread ofdiseases or pests affecting human beings, animals and plants' (Tanner and Nunn, 1998). However, although the means to regulate imports were available, prior to the 1950's quarantine of plants, both in agriculture and forestry, was very poor (Empire Forestry Association, 1948a ' Eldridge and Simpson, 1987;Walker, 1987;Wylie: 1989;Old and Dudzinski, 1998).…”

“…During the course of the last century, quarantine has evolved from virtually non-existent during the Second World War, to exclusion policies in the 1950-70's and ultimately to modem quarantine practices based on manageable risk concepts (Wylie, 1989;Tanner and Nunn, 1998). Today, quarantine involves not only Government regulations, but also public education.…”