The best defence against pests and diseases is the integration of biosecurity practices into your everyday business operations. Biosecurity is about managing the risk of pests and diseases impacting your business. By managing these risks, you can reduce the chance of pests and diseases being carried onto and around your property.

Why develop a farm biosecurity plan?

Having a plan helps you assess the risks of pests, diseases and weeds being introduced or spread onto your property and decide what you’ll do to manage those risks. The benefits of having a strong farm biosecurity plan for your business include:

• Reduced risk of introducing new pests and diseases.
• Lower pest and disease management costs.
• Maintained and enhanced access to domestic and international markets.
• Faster response and recovery if a new pest, disease, or weed does arrive.

How to use this farm biosecurity manual

This manual is your practical guide to developing a biosecurity plan tailored specifically to your business. It provides the essential information, examples, and tools to help you identify risks and choose effective practices.

Use this guide to help you assess potential entry pathways for pests and diseases and outline actions you’ll implement to reduce associated risks. A self-assessment checklist will help you evaluate your current practices and pinpoint areas for improvement. Using a farm map to visualise how your property layout relates to the risk pathways will help you locate where you can implement the most effective strategies.