FAQ

The Redlands Coast Biosecurity Plan 2018–2023 provides clear guidelines on how Redland City Council can meet its biosecurity obligations, inform the Redlands Coast community about their biosecurity obligations, and manage invasive plants, pest fish and pest animals on Redlands Coast. 

The plan will achieve this by providing a strategic planning framework, bringing all sectors of the local community together to be informed, and to prioritise and commit to managing invasive plants, pest fish and pest animals on Redlands Coast. 

The Redlands Coast Biosecurity Plan 2018–2023 is a document supporting the delivery of Council’s Natural Environment Policy POL–3128 and is a Queensland Government requirement of the Biosecurity Act 2014.

Biosecurity involves managing the risks and broad threats from invasive weeds, pest fish and pest animals.

Biosecurity and the management of invasive weeds, pest fish and pest animals play crucial roles in protecting, enhancing and restoring our natural environment, community lifestyle, industry and cultural heritage.

This General Biosecurity Obligation (GBO) is everyone's responsibility.

The Biosecurity Act 2014 states that all Queenslanders are responsible for managing biosecurity risks (invasive plants, pest fish and pest animals) that are under their control, that they know about, or should reasonably be expected to know about. 

You have a General Biosecurity Obligation (GBO) whether you are a gardener, bush regenerator, landscaper, produce transporter, farmer, horse rider, pet owner, nursery operator, recreational or professional fisherman, pet shop operator, mountain biker, bush walker or have any potential involvement with biosecurity matter.

The GBO means you should take reasonable steps to:

·  Manage biosecurity risks under your control. Some examples include, but are not limited to:

• knowing about and managing the restricted plants on your farm or property
• not releasing pet fish into waterways
• reporting suspected prohibited and restricted biosecurity matter

·  Take all reasonable and practical steps to prevent or minimise each biosecurity risk. You should consider:

• what you are doing with the biosecurity matter and how likely the biosecurity matter might spread
• how harmful is the activity or the biosecurity matter (e.g. can it cause serious illness or infrastructure damage if released?)
• how much you know about biosecurity. If unsure, stop and ask Council, or Biosecurity Queensland
• what can be done to reduce the risk of the biosecurity matter (e.g. wash tools/equipment after use, do not dump garden waste in bushland, do not transport contaminated soil, mulch or fodder)

·  Minimise the likelihood of releasing biosecurity matter and limit the consequences if such an event is caused from more serious biosecurity matter

·  Do nothing that worsens the biosecurity risk (e.g. deliberately drive equipment or vehicles through a weed infestation or deliberately release pest fish into a water body)

·  Not doing anything if doing nothing increases the risks (e.g. an aquatic weed spreads into waterways from a dam during a rain event, but not doing anything to prevent the spread). 

Prohibited matter is a disease, exotic fish, insect pest, pest animal or a weed that is not found in Queensland. If it was to enter Queensland it would seriously impact our health, way of life, the economy and the environment. 

Restricted matter can be animal disease, pest fish, insects, pest animals or weeds that are found in Queensland. Specific actions are required to be taken that limit the impact of this matter by reducing, controlling or containing it.  

Be mindful of what plants, fish and animals you manage or may be involved with on your property or as part of your business or activities.

Knowing what you have or are involved with in regard to your property, work area or activity will allow you to identify potential biosecurity risks and implement actions to contain or even eliminate biosecurity threats.

Showing you have informed yourself (e.g. identified plants you are planting) and taken steps to manage a biosecurity threat (e.g. wash down or not move contaminated equipment, don’t use pest fish as bait; reporting suspect material) should contribute in meeting your GBO.

For advice or to report a biosecurity matter, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or Council on 3829 8999. 

Under some circumstances, assistance with control of a biosecurity matter may be an option. 

Any invasive plant, pest fish or pest animal that is listed in Schedule 1 and 2 of the Biosecurity Act 2014 (also listed in the Redlands Coast Biosecurity Plan 2018–2023) as prohibited or Category 2 restricted, must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.

High priority biosecurity matter and most restricted matter listed in the Redlands Coast Biosecurity Plan 2018-2023 should be reported to Council on 3829 8999.

All prohibited matter must be reported within 24 hours of being sighted to Biosecurity Queensland by phoning 13 25 23.  

Desktop information and data required to inform the prioritisation of invasive plants, pest animals and pest fish within the plan has been gathered from numerous sources, including:

·  Redland Pest Management Plan 2012–2016

·  Biosecurity Act 2014 – Schedule 1 and 2 – Prohibited and Restricted Matter

·  Weeds of National Significance

·  Annual Pest Distribution Survey Data (Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries – Pest Central)

·  Atlas of Living Australia – Invasive species records for Redland City Council

·  Species (flora and fauna) list from Queensland Government Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (Wildlife Online)

·  Redland City Council Annual Waterway Recovery Reporting (fish population monitoring)

·  Redland City Council – Customer requests for pest animal sightings

·  Feral Scan by Centre for Invasive Species Solutions

·  Invasive plants list from Redland City Council Environmental Partnerships Team

·  Species identified through stakeholders engagement process

The Redlands Coast Biosecurity Working Group assessed the compiled list using their expert local knowledge and species profile information to rate and rank each species based on attributes developed by the Queensland Government. The prioritisation of invasive plants was undertaken for three (3) geographic regions, producing prioritisation lists for:

·  Mainland Redlands Coast – including Coochiemudlo Island

·  North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah)

·  Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

The draft prioritisation lists were presented to key stakeholder groups from the Redlands Coast community, businesses and organisations and offered to provide feedback for each relative region.

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for relevant fact sheets on state biosecurity matter, GBO, prohibited matter compliance – Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

Phone: 13 25 23

Redland City Council for Redlands Coast Biosecurity Plan 2018–2023, local biosecurity matter, restricted matter compliance –  Redlands Coast Biosecurity Plan 2018-2023

Phone: 3829 8999

Invasive Plants:

Weed Spotters Queensland App (currently Android only). An app to request the Queensland Herbarium to identify a weed, and also records the weed location for species spread and abundance data. Mobile device only; do not need to register – qld.gov.au/environment

Redlands Coast Bushcare Weed Spotters App. Targets five specific weeds in an attempt to map distribution and abundance of the emerging weeds on Redlands Coast. The list of five will expand gradually, based from the Redlands Coast Biosecurity Plan 2018–2023. Need to register with Atlas of Living Australia (ALA). Can be used on App or PC – biocollect.ala.org.au

Weeds of Australia Identification Website Tool. A systematic weed identification website with easy to follow prompts and images and detailed information – business.qld.gov.au

Weeds of SEQ/NE NSW Identification and Information App. Weed identification tool for the field using similar systematic weed identification methods as the website mentioned above.

Pest Fish and Animals:

Feralscan. Record observations and evidence of target pests. Also provide information on the target pests and distribution maps – feralscan.org.au

Pest Smart Website. Learn about managing and identifying target pest fish and pest animals, connect with others, get up to date information on target or emerging species – pestsmart.org.au

Centre for Invasive Species Solutions. Information on a national collaboration in research, education and management of vertebrate pests – invasives.com.au

Invasive Plants and Pest Fish and Animals:

Queensland Pest Distribution Map. Shows the current known distribution and abundance of notifiable pests in Queensland. May only work on Google Chrome browser – daf.qld.gov.au

Atlas of Living Australia (ALA). Can search by area or species to see distribution of target species from a diverse data set. Can also record any species via an app or on the website. 

Fire Ants. All relevant information on identification, management, maps etc.