LEGISLATION AND REGULATION

Legislation pertaining to the protection, keeping, treat­ment, rehabilitation and release of Australian wildife is covered in Chapter 4. The Wild Animal Response Strat­egy (AHA 2023), the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (NHMRC 2013) and A Guide to the Care and Use of Australian Native Mammals in Research and Teaching (NHMRC 2014) all contain useful lists of Australian legislation relevant to wildlife welfare, disease and management.

There has also been a recent move in biosecurity legis­lation to the concept of ‘shared responsibility’, reflected by general biosecurity obligations or duties. These obliga­tions, or duties, reflect the need for individuals to take responsibility for biosecurity and it is important that vet­erinarians familiarise themselves with their local, state­based biosecurity arrangements.

The IGAB has become the principal agreement and collaborative mechanism for governments on biosecurity matters. The IGAB created a framework for common­wealth, state and territory governments to coordinate and identify priority areas of reform and action to build a stronger and more effective national biosecurity system. The achievements of the IGAB are many and cover a broad range of activities across the system, including the development of significant and sound national policy principles and frameworks that include wildlife and the environment (Craik et al. 2017).

Craik et al. (2017) concluded that environmental con­siderations should be comparable to human health and primary production, with respect to biosecurity, and comprehensive national arrangements need to be further developed (pre-border, at the border and post-border) to address environmental biosecurity needs.

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