State Biosecurity Response Centre
431. Hon Dr Steve Thomasto theMinister for Agriculture and Food:
I refer to the Canning Vale State Biosecurity Response Centre that opened in December 2024.
(1) Are all Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development biosecurity operations, incident response teams, diagnostic and laboratory services now fully operational at the State Biosecurity Response Centre?
(2) Have technical and non-technical staff from the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre been relocated back to the State Biosecurity Response Centre?
(3) As at 23 June 2025, what external state and federal accredited testing providers are providing analysis of samples submitted by WA veterinarians and agronomists to the State Biosecurity Response Centre?
(4) What are the biosecurity markers, rationale and protocols for the outsourcing of external analysis to the State Biosecurity Response Centre?
(5) As at 23 June 2025, how many full-time, part-time and casual staff are operating out of the State Biosecurity Response Centre?
Hon Jackie Jarvis replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) The State Biosecurity Response Centre has been operational since December 2024 with incident response and onsite facilities management teams. Procurement and design for onsite modular laboratories are well advanced, with construction due to commence in the second half of 2025. Once construction is complete at the site, biosecurity operations, diagnostic services and associated biosecurity functions will be housed at the site.
(2) The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) does not provide biosecurity services and there are no plans to move AEGIC to the State Biosecurity Response Centre.
(3) No samples are being submitted directly to the State Biosecurity Response Centre. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Diagnostics and Laboratory Services (DDLS) is continuing to receive samples for either direct testing by DPIRD at its South Perth laboratory or other DPIRD facilities, or for testing by other providers. Providers include CSIRO, AgriBio and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, South Australia.
(4) The use of external providers is common practice and occurs for a range of reasons, including access to specialist knowledge, federally agreed protocols and for diagnostics or analysis not currently undertaken in WA.
(5) There are approximately 70.
