The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has said more than 50,000 people had signed up to the biosecurity registration system for livestock, horse, poultry and beehive owners.
The Department said the Biosecurity Entity Registration Portal allowed owners to register their animals online and receive automated updates when renewals were due.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner said being registered allowed Biosecurity Queensland to better prepare for and respond to biosecurity emergencies.
“If there was a biosecurity emergency, such as an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease or African swine fever, we need to know where susceptible animals are and who is caring for them,” Mr Furner said.
“Using this register, Biosecurity Queensland can locate animals, trace their movements and keep their owners informed.”
He said maintaining strong biosecurity measures supported thousands of jobs in agriculture, an essential industry and a crucial part of the State’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.
Mr Furner said the portal was launched in 2019 and had exceeded all expectations with 56 per cent of all registered animal owners now holding an online account.
“Originally we were hoping to attract a quarter of all owners to the portal but through the persistent efforts of the team and our Biosecurity Officers across the State, we’ve gone well beyond that,” he said.
“It’s really important the data we hold is up to date as it’s critical in the event of an emergency, so this is really good progress.”
Mr Furner said livestock owners were reporting that the new system was quick and efficient and took the guesswork out of renewals.
Further information on registration can be accessed at this PS News link.
