19 Jan 2011: Biosecurity investigations report
The Commonwealth Ombudsman Allan Asher today released a report on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) investigations of possible breaches of biosecurity legislation.
It examines the activities of the Biosecurity Services Group of DAFF, and in particular, assesses whether investigations have been conducted appropriately in NSW.
‘We found that the Sydney office of the Compliance Branch is staffed by a team of investigators who are experienced and well qualified; and also that investigations met legislative requirements and that correct policies and guidelines have been observed,’ the Ombudsman said.
‘It is important that we regularly review the processes for our biosecurity arrangements because these processes are designed to identify and reduce quarantine risks for Australia,’ Allan Asher said.
The Ombudsman’s report recommends that close attention be paid in using a consistent approach to investigation case management, especially when planning an investigation. The report also draws attention to the need for good record keeping.
The catalyst for this report dates back to 2006, when the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport published a report on the administration by DAFF of the 2004 citrus canker outbreak in Queensland.
The Senate Committee’s report criticised DAFF’s investigation of the outbreak and recommended that the Commonwealth Ombudsman review investigations conducted by DAFF.
In August 2009, the Ombudsman published the first report on the Compliance Branch, Biosecurity Services Group. It provided a basis for future audits of investigations conducted by the Compliance Branch.
The current Ombudsman report is the second audit and focuses on investigations conducted by the Sydney office of the Compliance Branch during 2009 and 2010.
DAFF has accepted and commenced implementing all seven recommendations in the Ombudsman’s report.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman will conduct an audit of each of the five offices of the Compliance Branch during 2010-11. This will provide an assessment of the investigations carried out by the Compliance Branch and will enable the Ombudsman to monitor progress made by DAFF in addressing recommendations.
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Date of release: 19 January 2011