On 31 January 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment announced that new requirements for managing biofouling on international vessels arriving in Australia will begin on 15 June 2022.
Operators of all vessels subject to biosecurity control will be required to provide information on how biofouling has been managed prior to arriving in Australian territorial seas. The Department will use the information to target vessel interventions to allow more efficient use of resources and statutory powers to assess and inspect vessels, and more effective response to unacceptable biosecurity risks associated with biofouling.
Vessel operators will receive less intervention for biofouling if they comply with one of the following three accepted biofouling management practices:
- Implementation of an effective biofouling management plan; or
- Cleaned all biofouling within 30 days prior to arriving in Australian territory; or
- Implementation of an alternative biofouling management method pre-approved by the department.
The Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) identified the problem of the current approach resulting in more frequent marine pest incursions and higher future costs associated with the impacts of incursions, eradication attempts and ongoing management and control activities.
Four options were presented including the status quo, increased inspections, a species-based approach (regulation based on listed of species of concern), proactive biofouling management (regulation to incentivise effective management practices).
The RIS found that proactive biofouling management was the most cost-effective mechanism to manage biosecurity risk associated with biofouling. The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment prepared and certified a RIS, which the Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) assessed as adequate.
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment estimates the average annual regulatory costs at 0.882 million.
Assessed RIS outcome
Compliant with RIS requirements