❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the operational status, staffing, and external testing arrangements of the Canning Vale State Biosecurity Response Centre, revealing it's not yet fully operational and clarifies roles of related entities.
AnsweredQoN 431Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
State Biosecurity Response Centre
431. Hon Dr Steve Thomas to the Minister 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?
431. Hon Dr Steve Thomas to the Minister 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?
AnswerView source ↗
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.
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.
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