Budget boost to sniff out biosecurity threats

More detector dogs and their handlers will be trained and deployed to protect Australia’s biosecurity at the border, as a result of new funding in the Albanese Government’s first budget.

The initiative delivers on an election commitment and will see an extra 20 detector dogs and their handlers on the frontline.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said the additional dogs will play an integral role as Australia deals with the threat of exotic pests and diseases in nearby countries.

“Having seen these dogs in action, I know they play a vital role in protecting Australia’s biosecurity system,” Minister Watt said.

“And detector dogs earn their keep. Last year they recorded over 10,000 interceptions of biosecurity risk items at mail centres and 4,850 interceptions at airports.

“An equally critical resource is the recruitment of 20 new biosecurity detector dog handlers, who will support the dogs through day-to-day training and evaluation.”

Detector dogs are fast, versatile and mobile and can be used to identify biosecurity risks at airports, mail centres and ports. They are trained to detect over 250 biosecurity risk items including fresh fruit and vegetables, plants and cuttings, seeds, bulbs, meat, eggs and risky pests like brown marmorated stink bugs.

Minister Watt said combined with other detection tools like X-rays, they form part of Australia’s strongest ever response to an overseas biosecurity threat.

“As we see more travellers, mail and cargo arriving into Australia it is important that our resources keep pace,” he said.

“Over the past decade detector dog numbers have gone backwards and these additional dogs are long overdue.

“This year we have seen two highly contagious and potentially deadly livestock diseases spread through Indonesia, putting Australia on heightened alert for the risk of an incursion into Australia.

“Our detector dogs have been right at the frontline of successfully keeping Australia free of major pests and disease, and this new capability will help sustain that protection into the future."