Now lawFarming & Regions Introduced in the House of Representatives, 01 Jul 2026

Travellers must now give biosecurity details

Biosecurity means keeping out pests and diseases. This new law clears the way to swap the paper arrival card for a digital form, called the Australia Travel Declaration. It also gives businesses that run their own biosecurity checks a fairer say before the agriculture department turns them down.

Official name: Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency) Bill 2026

Who it affects

• International travellers: You must answer the biosecurity questions in the way the rules set, and fix any mistakes. They ask things like what food you carry, or if you went to a farm.
• Plane and ship crew: Crew, and the people in charge of planes and ships, have the same duty to give the set facts.
• Parents and carers travelling with others: You must also give the facts for anyone you are in charge of on the trip, such as your children.
• Businesses with approved arrangements: Before the department says no to their application, they must get a warning letter and 30 days to put their side.

Paper arrival cards going digital

Biosecurity means keeping out pests and diseases. They could harm people, animals, plants, nature and the economy. The Biosecurity Act 2015 is the main law that does this.

Today most people arriving in Australia fill in a paper arrival card. It asks about things like food, plants and soil on your shoes. It asks if you have been near farms or animals.

Since October 2024 the government has tested a digital version. It is called the Australia Travel Declaration. It started on some Qantas flights into Brisbane. Then it spread to Sydney and Melbourne. By May 2026, over 380,000 travellers had used it.

On 13 July 2026 the government said it would switch fully to the digital form. It promised $56.1 million over four years. The money will bring a web version to all international airports and seaports.

Under the old law, a biosecurity officer could ask a traveller for facts. The government wanted a clear rule. All travellers must give set facts, at set times, in set ways, including online. Julie Collins, the Minister for Agriculture, brought in the bill.

Set information from travellers

Part 1 of the bill adds a new section 195A to the Biosecurity Act. It applies to every passenger and crew member arriving on a plane or ship. It also applies to the person in charge of that plane or ship.

Each traveller must give the facts and papers listed in detailed rules. The government writes these rules without a new vote in Parliament. You must also give the facts for anyone you are in charge of on the trip.

The government says the list will mostly match the paper card now. That includes the goods you bring and places you went, such as farms or the bush. It includes your job, if it puts you near animals or plants. It can also include your flight number, airport and date you arrive. This helps officers spot patterns.

The rules can set more than one time and way to give the facts. You might fill in the digital form before landing. Then a square barcode from the form is scanned at the bag pick-up and the exit. You could also answer out loud in an emergency, or use a paper card.

Your answers might turn out to be wrong or out of date. Then you must fix them as soon as you know, or when an officer asks.

Say you tick no for food. Then you remember a packet of dried beef in your bag. You would need to fix your answer straight away.

Penalties and exceptions

Refusing to give the facts can lead to a fine of up to 120 penalty units. From 1 July 2026 that is $43,680. A court sets this kind of fine. It does not give you a criminal record.

An officer can also give an on-the-spot fine. You can choose to pay it or fight it in court.

The government says you would get several chances to fill in the form. A fine would only come if you still refuse when an officer at the border asks.

You cannot refuse to answer because it might show you did something wrong. Your answers cannot be used against you in court. The one exception is a case about giving false or misleading facts. That can bring a fine of up to 600 penalty units.

The rules can let some people off. One example is a person flown in for emergency medical care. They might not be able to answer and have no one with them.

Fair warning for businesses

Some businesses run their own biosecurity checks. They do this under a plan approved by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. This is called an approved arrangement. For example, a business might be allowed to check or treat goods from overseas at its own site.

The department already sent warning letters before saying no to these plans. But the law did not make it. Part 2 of the bill makes it a rule.

Before saying no to a plan, or to a change to one, the decision maker must send a warning letter. It explains the decision they plan to make. The business gets 30 days to reply in writing.

The decision maker may also send a letter before approving a plan with conditions.

The time limit for a decision is stretched to allow for the reply. This stops a plan being refused automatically while the business is still making its case.

A small fix

Part 2 also fixes a slip in the wording of the law. It is about the powers of the Inspector-General of Biosecurity. That is an independent officer who checks how the biosecurity system works.

The section wrongly used the words "relevant information". Those words have a special meaning in other parts of the law. The bill removes them.

Start date

The traveller rules in Part 1 start on a date the government sets. If no date is set, they start six months after the law was signed. This gives time to write the detailed rules and train staff.

The changes for businesses and the small fix started the day after signing.

The bill was brought to the House of Representatives on 1 July 2026. That is the house of Parliament where the government is formed. The House passed it on 13 August 2026. The Senate, Parliament's second house, passed it on 10 September 2026.

The Governor-General, the King's representative, signed it into law on 15 September 2026. Its official number is Act No. 84 of 2026.

Its journey through Parliament

Official sources

• Bill page on aph.gov.au
• Text of the bill
• Explanatory memorandum
• Bills Digest

Open the full interactive page