Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
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| Department overview | |
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| Formed | 21 September 2015 |
| Preceding Department | |
| Jurisdiction | Australia |
| Ministers responsible |
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| Department executive |
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| Child agencies |
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| Website | www.agriculture.gov.au |
The Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is a department of the Australian Government charged with the responsibility to develop and implement policies and programs that ensure Australia's agricultural, fisheries, food and forestry industries remain competitive, profitable and sustainable.
The head of the department is the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, presently Daryl Quinlivan, who is responsible to the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, the Hon. Barnaby Joyce MP. The Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources is Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston.[1]
Overview
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources policies and programs:
- encourage and support sustainable natural resource use and management
- protect the health and safety of plant and animal industries
- enable industries to adapt to compete in a fast-changing international and economic environment
- help improve market access and market performance for the agricultural and food sector
- encourage and assist industries to adopt new technology and practices
- assist primary producers and the food industry to develop business and marketing skills, and to be financially self-reliant.
History
The department was formed by way of an administrative order issued on 21 September 2015,[2] replacing the previous Department of Agriculture,[3] following the appointment of Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister of Australia.
Operational activities
The department facilitates the development of self-reliant, profitable, competitive and sustainable Australian farm businesses and industries. Through consultation with industry, the department develops and implements policies and programs that help to assure product safety and integrity. Particular emphasis is placed on on-farm risk management that relates to food safety.
Divisions which fall within the broader department include: sustainable resource management (fisheries), climate change (drought assistance, Australia's farming future, forestry), agricultural productivity (FarmReady, animal welfare, crops horticulture & wine, food) and trade & market access (free trade agreements). The department's biosecurity function, which was previously performed by AQIS, manages quarantine controls at Australia's borders to minimise the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering the country. The department also provides import and export inspection and certification to help retain Australia’s highly favourable animal, plant and human health status and wide access to overseas export markets.
Biosecurity
The department manages quarantine controls at Australia's borders to minimise the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering the country. The department also provides import and export inspection and certification to help retain Australia’s highly favourable animal, plant and human health status and wide access to overseas export markets.
Australia is free from a number of biological threats, such as foot and mouth disease, that have had major economic and environmental consequences for other countries.
As international travel has become easier, the job of keeping Australia free of unwanted pests has become more demanding. The department continuously looks to improve the effectiveness of the quarantine effort by working closely with other areas within the department to manage Australia’s biosecurity system. We also work closely with other Australian government agencies – such as Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Department of Health and Ageing, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and state/territory governments – to support their management of post–border detections and incursions of quarantine pests and diseases, and to support our own verification and certification activities for agriculture and food products.
See also
- Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC)
- Bureau of Rural Sciences
- Australian Fisheries Management Authority
- List of Australian Commonwealth Government entities
- Minister for Agriculture
References
- ↑ "Ministers". About us. Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Australian Government. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ↑ "Administrative Arrangements Order". Commonwealth of Australia. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ↑ Minute Paper for the Executive Council, Executive Council Meeting No. 21 (PDF), Federal Executive Council, 21 September 2015
