Stakeholder consultation during an import risk
analysis (IRA)
The Department of Agriculture conducts import risk analyses (IRAs) to identify and assess potential
biosecurity risks associated with a good proposed for import and makes recommendations on how
to manage the risks. During the IRA process, there are a number of opportunities for stakeholders to
provide input.
The department conducts consultation provided for by the Quarantine Regulations 2000 as well as
additional consultation.
Key points
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The IRA process is regulated under law.
The Quarantine Regulations 2000 provide opportunities for input, including:
o commenting on an issues paper
o commenting on the draft IRA report.
Non-regulated opportunities may include input on the scope and approach to the IRA and
input from state and territory governments.
Regulated consultation
The IRA process is regulated under law in the Quarantine Regulations 2000. This means there are
certain steps that the department must follow when conducting an IRA, including consultation with
stakeholders.
There are two types of IRAs: standard and expanded. Both have regulated stakeholder consultation
steps under the Quarantine Regulations 2000.
The decision to conduct an expanded IRA is made when the IRA involves significant differences in
scientific opinion or significant harm to people, animals, plants or the environment may result from
a good being imported. Otherwise, the standard IRA process is used.
Common to both is a formal consultation period when the draft IRA report is released. Stakeholders
have 60 days from the publication of the draft report to provide comment. The Chief Executive of
Biosecurity Australia has the option to extend this period by a further 60 days if they believe people
have not had a reasonable opportunity to consider the report.
The Quarantine Regulations 2000 require all stakeholder comments to be considered when revising
the draft IRA report.
The expanded IRA process provides further opportunities for stakeholder input. This can include an
issues paper which identifies the key issues of interest and asks questions to promote discussion and
input.
If the department determines that an issues paper is necessary, the Quarantine Regulations 2000
provide for a formal consultation period of 60 days when stakeholders can provide comments on the
issues paper and may raise additional issues for consideration. The department may also meet with
stakeholders to discuss matters raised in their submissions on the issues paper.
The expanded IRA process also includes a review of the revised draft IRA report by the Eminent
Scientists Group (ESG). This occurs after stakeholders have made comments on the draft IRA report,
and it has been revised by the department taking into consideration stakeholder comments. The ESG
is an independent group of scientific and economic experts. The ESG ensures all submissions
received from stakeholders have been properly considered, all relevant matters relating to economic
consequences of a potential incursion have been considered, and based on the material presented,
the conclusions of the revised draft IRA report are scientifically reasonable.
Other opportunities
There are a number of other times that stakeholders can provide input into an IRA.
At the beginning of the IRA process, the department consults with state and territory departments
and Australian Government agencies. The department will also seek input from other stakeholders
on the scope of, and approach to, the IRA. This input will help to guide the technical approach to the
IRA and the amount of information that it will include.
The department prepares the provisional final IRA report, taking into account stakeholder comments
(and any recommendations from the ESG in the case of an expanded IRA). Before publishing the
provisional final IRA report, the department will give state and territory governments the
opportunity to provide input including on issues of regional pest and disease status.
There is no formal consultation after the provisional final IRA report has been released. However,
stakeholders are encouraged to provide any information to the department regarding what may
influence a change to biosecurity risk.
Figure 1: Consultation opportunities during the IRA process
Contact
1800 040 629
For more information
biosecurityconsultation@agriculture.gov.au