Tougher penalties coming for those who flaunt biosecurity protocols

Labor introduced the bill to parliament last week, which will step up a range of civil and criminal penalties under the Biosecurity Act.

It will also encourage more thorough reporting of biosecurity risks entering Australia through air and sea ports.

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Anyone who fails to comply with pre-arrival reporting requirements or flag a reportable biosecurity incident will face increased fines of up to $222,000.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the new penalties would also apply to aircraft and vessel operators .

"People in charge of aircraft and vessels must properly report biosecurity threats, so that our biosecurity officers have accurate and up-to-date information available to assess the risks onboard," Mr Watt said.

"While the overwhelming majority do the right thing, a very small minority may be careless or break the rules, and we need to make sure appropriate deterrents are in place."

"Biosecurity is everybody's responsibility, and everybody needs to do the right thing. If they don't, the Australian public rightfully would expect that the punishment would fit the crime."

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Mr Watt said the government was acting on advice from the Inspector General of Biosecurity's report into the failures that led to the Ruby Princess cruise COVID-19 outbreak.

"The Albanese government is introducing biosecurity measures that are long overdue... the former government failed to prioritise this legislation in their last term, leaving Australia unprepared for the threats we face," Mr Watt said.

"If we wish to continue to keep Australia free of pests and diseases, the Biosecurity Act must remain fit-for-purpose and future-proofed.

"These stronger penalties - in some cases up to $1.1 million for corporate bodies - better reflect the seriousness of ignoring Australia's tough biosecurity laws.