A Biosecurity Statement for Victoria
The collective input from industry, community and government led to the development of new policy in a Biosecurity Statement for Victoria.
It outlines our shared vision for Victoria’s biosecurity.
Our vision
We look toward a future where Victoria’s communities are healthy, our farms are prosperous, and our culture and wellbeing are supported by a vibrant and whole natural environment.
A future where everyone in our state understands the threats posed by harmful pests and diseases and acts to protect and enhance their communities and the environment around them.
Where Victoria’s food and fibre industries are sending clean and safe produce around the world, setting a standard for safety, efficiency and sustainability.
Where all Victorians can align around a vision of what’s right for Victoria, and act confidently in support of that vision, informed by evidence and the knowledge of Traditional Owners.
Where we can pass Victoria along, unique and enriched, out of respect for the people who cared for it before us, and for the sake of the people, plants, and animals that will live in Victoria in the future.
[Title reads] Victoria’s Biosecurity Statement [showing an aerial view of Victorian farmland, with the Victorian State Government logo in the bottom righthand corner].
[Graphic words on the screen read:] Small actions have big impacts on pests and diseases.
[A series of photos scroll through with matching graphic words showcasing a man and his cattle dog on a farm at sunrise, and a young child holding a shaft of wheat.]
What we do, or don’t do, can affect the things we value.
[Photos with motion graphics show a farmer and his ute walking in a field alongside sheep, a man gardening, an Aboriginal farmer and landowner inspecting native grass, a fruit picker filling crates in an orchid, and a herd of black cattle in a grassy paddock.]
We can protect our farms and parks, our pets and gardens, the cultural integrity of the landscape, the safety of our food and the success of our industries.
[A woman from Warner Nursey stands in the middle of rows of potted young plants held upright with wooden stakes.] We can all make a difference.
[Photos with motion graphics show a series of images including a red hulled ship having ballast washed from its hull, a beehive being smoked, and a view of Mt Sturgeon at the Grampians with two hikers standing at the top of a rocky outcrop.]
We can prevent pests from getting into Victoria, contain outbreaks before they get out of hand, and we can manage established pests and diseases.
[A group of people gather to learn about biosecurity in the Millewa-Mallee region.] By looking after Victoria’s biosecurity, [graphic words on the screen] we can pass Victoria along to future generations, [an image of an Aboriginal smoking ceremony with Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Dave Wandin] unique and enriched – out of respect for the Traditional Owners who are the custodians of this land – and for the sake of [a woman stands on a hoist among hydroponically grown tomatoes] all people, plants and animals that will live in Victoria in the future.
[A man and a woman stand in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens with Melbourne Cityscape behind them as they watch their young son and daughter run across the grass.] Because biosecurity protects what Victorians value most.
[A moving image of a combine harvester in a wheat field of golden sunlight at dusk.] agriculture dot vic dot gov dot au forward slash biosecurity
[Black screen with the Victorian State Government logo reads:] Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
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Why we need a Biosecurity Statement
The Statement communicates our shared purpose and ambition for biosecurity in Victoria, setting a clear and cohesive direction for the broader system.
The consultations over 2019-21 indicated broad support for strengthening the biosecurity system in Victoria. But we need to improve how we work across the many interests in the system and be clearer about what shared responsibility means for different sectors.
With so many perspectives on biosecurity, a shared vision is a starting point to support a collective movement to protect Victoria from the harms of pests and diseases.
Co-designing the Biosecurity Statement
Agriculture Victoria co-developed the Biosecurity Statement with people from a range of sectors and roles within the biosecurity system.
The statement builds on the SVBS Program’s extensive biosecurity stakeholder engagement which has included a a statewide survey, one-on-one interviews, a biosecurity workshop and consultation on the National Biosecurity Strategy.
The Biosecurity Statement was endorsed by the Victorian Government in September 2022 and launched at Victoria’s Biosecurity Roundtable 2022.
A stepping-stone to the Biosecurity Strategy
The Biosecurity Statement is a foundation for reform and improvement in biosecurity. It provides a shared narrative for Victoria’s biosecurity system and sets expectations for the 2023 Biosecurity Strategy.
Agriculture Victoria has started a much broader consultation process to engage more people across a range of other industry, community and government organisations and the general public to develop the Biosecurity Strategy, which is planned for finalising in 2023.
If you have any questions about the development of a Biosecurity Statement for Victoria email biosecurity.strategy@agriculture.vic.gov.au.