Domestic Quarantine and Market Access Working Group

The Terms of Reference are provided below. These outline the scope of the working group's activities.

Download the working group's Terms of Reference [Word 47kb]

1. Develop and maintain plant biosecurity measures that facilitate market access for plants and plant products for domestic markets, and minimise risks to industries and regions.
2. Ensure plant biosecurity measures developed are consistent within the principles and standards established under international and national agreements on quarantine and market access.
3. Facilitate the provision of consistent, high quality information and industry consultation including public awareness on interstate and regional market access and quarantine for plants and plant products.
4. Formulate procedures and delivery programs for: interstate market access and quarantine for plants and plant products, area freedom inspection, and exotic pest incursion response.
5. Develop plant quarantine certification arrangements that facilitate interstate access for plant products.
6. Recommend and review interstate phytosanitary measures with the aim of identifying those which are outdated and technically unjustified; and resolve any resulting disputes.
7. Contribute to the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests consideration of emergency plant pest incursions and develop interstate and intrastate market access and quarantine response mechanisms, including contingency planning.
8. Contribute to the development and maintenance of international policies, procedures and standards.
9. Through Plant Health Committee, make relevant recommendations to Primary Industries Health Committee and Primary Industries Standing Committee.

Types of issues to raise with the group