General Biosecurity Obligation
Surveillance Program
Biosecurity Plan 2021 - 2025
Catchment Working Groups

Biosecurity Act 2014 - General Biosecurity Obligation

On 1 July 2016, the Biosecurity Act 2014 replaced the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002 for legislating the management of pest species in Queensland. Landholders do not need to know about all biosecurity risks but are expected to know about those associated with land management activities.

Residents' general biosecurity obligation means they need to ensure their activities do not spread a pest, disease or contaminant. Outlined below are the responsibilities that landholders are responsible for in relation to managing pest species within the Gladstone Region.

• Take all reasonable and practical steps to prevent or minimise each biosecurity risk
• Minimise the likelihood of the risk causing a biosecurity event and limit the consequences of such an event
• Prevent or minimise the adverse effects the risk could have and refrain from doing anything that might exacerbate the adverse effects. 

Winter Surveillance Program

During a General Council Meeting on 6 April 2021, Gladstone Regional Council resolved to implement an invasive species winter surveillance program under the Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld) commencing on 1 May 2021 to 30 October 2021. 

This aims to:

1. confirming the presence, or finding out the extent of the presence, of African Tulip Tree, Giant Rat’s Tail Grass, Groundsel Bush, Harrisia Cactus, Mesquite,  Parkinsonia, Parthenium, Prickly Pear Spp, Rubber Vine and Tilapia; and
2. monitoring landholder compliance with requirements about prohibited matter or restricted matter.

A copy of the Surveillance Program is available for inspection or purchase, free of charge, at any Council Office or Rural Transaction Centre until the end of the program.

If you have any questions regarding the surveillance program, please contact Council's Biosecurity and Environmental Health team on (07) 4970 0700.

Biosecurity Plan 2021 - 2025

Following community consultation Gladstone Regional Council has developed a Biosecurity Plan to strengthen and protect the Gladstone Region’s environment and ecosystems from biosecurity risks. In accordance with the Biosecurity Act 2014, the new strategy replaces the old Biosecurity Plan which expired in December 2020.

The new Biosecurity plan sets out key objectives and priority actions for our unique region.  Key issues include invasive pest plants including giant rats tail grass, parthenium, feral Leucaena, absentee landholders and pest animals including wild dogs, feral pigs, rabbits, foxes, Indian myna birds.

The plan has been informed by community engagement and input, research, alignment with the Biosecurity Act 2014, and consideration of emerging priorities. It also forms the foundation of Council actions which includes control of land, community education & awareness and compliance & enforcement of the act within the region.

Thank you, to those who participated, for having your say on the Biosecurity Plan 2021-2025.

Council values your feedback and has used it to shape the new plan.

Key community feedback incorporated into the plan includes:

• The Gladstone Region community highlighted African Tulip trees and Tilapia fish as ongoing concerns.  These have remained as containment species to ensure stakeholders are actively working on control and reduction.
• Among the significant environmental areas, the community highlighted waterways, national parks and conservation areas. These areas will help Council to focus and continue compliance and education.
• The community identified national parks, large and absentee landholders as priorities for compliance. This plan continues to support the education and awareness as a big focus and will retail the compliance and enforcement function too.

For more information go to conversations.gladstone.qld.gov.au/.

Biosecurity Plan 2021 - 2025

Return to top