Meeting your General Biosecurity Duty

Biosecurity isn’t just about farmers and livestock, and it isn’t just about quarantine and border security.

There are hundreds of different ways that diseases, pests and weeds can enter NSW and move and spread to new areas.

Biosecurity is a shared responsibility.

GBD for farmers and land managers

If you own, occupy or manage land in NSW, you have an important role to play in protecting our agriculture, environment, community and livelihoods.

This introductory video will help you understand your General Biosecurity Duty for managing pest animals and weeds including how to:

• take action to prevent, eliminate or minimise pests and weeds
• participate in control programs with your neighbours
• report pest and weed sightings. 

videocam 1:30

Close(Press escape to close)

Video transcript

General Biosecurity Duty for landholders

Pest animals and weeds cause significant damage to our environment, agriculture and communities.

If you own, manage or occupy land in New South Wales you have an important role to play in protecting our community and livelihoods.

Under the Biosecurity Act 2015, you are responsible for managing biosecurity risks which includes controlling pest animals and weeds on your property.

This is known as your General Biosecurity Duty, which means you must take reasonable steps to prevent, eliminate or minimise biosecurity risks.

This means being aware of pest animals and weeds on your land, and taking action to effectively manage them.

Pest animals like rabbits, foxes, feral pigs and deer, can explode in numbers and cause serious problems if left unmanaged.

Similarly, weeds such as parthenium weed, tropical soda apple, and even some garden species, can destroy the health and productivity of your land if ignored.

Controlling pest animals and weeds is not just a choice it's the law.

Neglecting your duty to act not only affects you, but also harms agriculture and the environment.

You're not alone, biosecurity is a shared responsibility.

Work with your neighbours and Local Land Services to protect our land and resources.

For more about meeting your General Biosecurity Duty phone 1300 795 299.

Know what pests and weeds pose a threat in your area

Every Local Land Services region has a strategic plan for managing pest animals and weeds. These plans have information about:

• priority species that must be actively managed
• alert species that must be reported.

A priority pest species poses a current environmental and economic risk that requires coordinated community efforts to contain and control.

An alert species is one that poses a risk but has not established a population in the region. We need to work together to ensure early detection of alert species so they can be managed effectively.

Report a biosecurity concern

Early detection and reporting is critical for controlling pests, weeds and diseases.

Get advice

Know how to spot the risks and where to get the help and advice you need.