Farmers will be hit with "modest" fees under a new national $1 billion biosecurity system, which the federal government describes as the first model to consistently protect the industry from threats of disease and pests.
The federal government is refusing to name a national company trusted to manage biosecurity risks after it illegally dumped hundreds of kilograms of imported meat.
Tougher quarantine rules designed to protect against the risk of a rabies outbreak could lead to a blowout in wait times for people looking to bring pets into the country.
An expert biosecurity task force will be set up by the federal government to prevent a devastating outbreak of foot and mouth disease from reaching Australia.Â
Biosecurity officers will begin boarding planes arriving from Indonesia as Australian authorities try to stop the highly contagious foot and mouth disease entering the country.
