The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) welcomes the opportunity to provide this submission to
the Victorian Government’s consultation on strengthening biosecurity legislation in Victoria. The
VFF acknowledges the importance of strengthening biosecurity frameworks to protect Victorian
agriculture, the environment, and public health.
The VFF supports the Victorian Government’s initiative to introduce a General Biosecurity Duty,
provided that it applies to all individuals and entities that may impact biosecurity. The duty must
be accompanied by a proportionate penalty system, clear enforcement mechanisms for third
parties accessing farmland, and the inclusion of invasive species within its scope.
The exclusion of invasive species from the proposed framework is a significant oversight that
undermines the core intent of the GBD. The VFF strongly recommends that invasive species be
incorporated into the GBD to ensure consistency in biosecurity obligations across all individuals,
irrespective of land ownership.
The VFF supports the government’s proposal to enhance livestock Property Identification Codes
(PICs) data as part of the broader biosecurity reforms, provided that no fees are charged to
farmers for registration or data management. The VFF calls for the scope of the improved PICs
data to be proportionate, user-friendly, and focused on biosecurity needs without imposing
unnecessary burdens on farmers. Additionally, privacy, data security, and stakeholder
consultation must be prioritised to ensure the success and effectiveness of these reforms.
The VFF urges the Victorian government to consider our input in order to improve the proposed
legislative reforms and ensure the everyone is included and understands that they can have
detrimental impact on Victorian agriculture.
The VFF looks forward to working with the government to refine the proposed legislation and
ensure that Victorian farmers have the necessary tools and protections to manage biosecurity
effectively.