Market-based incentives for biosecurity compliance

Project ID: 1504C (1304C, 1404C)
CEBRA Project Leader: Susan Hester 
DA Sponsor: Lois Ransom
DA Project Leader: Felicity Woodhams
DA Division: Biosecurity Plant
MPI Project Manager: Stephen Butcher
Collaborators: The Centre for Market Design (CMD)

This project aims to evaluate the implementation of compliance-based biosecurity inspection protocols. This rigorous and scientific approach to evaluation and testing will be used to inform the Department of Agriculture on how to develop tailored approaches for a wider roll-out of these types of protocols across the Department. Such an approach would also provide the Department with a framework for future program evaluation work.

The project is considered a scoping study, to gain a better understanding of the behaviour of importers of plant products in order to improve the cost-effectiveness of inspection regimes without adversely affecting the likelihood of contaminated consignments entering the country. This project builds on previous ACERA work (1001A study J and 1101C) that led to the development and implementation of the CSP-3 sampling algorithm for various imported plant product pathways. The algorithm is designed to automatically focus inspection resources in the areas of the pathway that inspection history suggests will have the highest contamination rate.

The focus of this phase of the project is running field pilots of proposed compliance-based inspection protocols in order to give a more complete understanding of participants' responses.  The field pilots will involve introducing changed protocols on two plant-produced pathways and observing the responses of importers, suppliers and customs brokers.  The compliance-based inspection protocols that will be rolled out arise from the theoretical work in CEBRA Project 1304C, together with any refinements suggested in CEBRA 1404C.

Testing the changed protocols in the field will be undertaken after careful consideration of relevant biosecurity legislation.  Careful consideration will be given to the timing and speed of implementation, and the requirement to maintain Australia's appropriate level of protection (ALOP).

1304C Final Report

1404C Final Report

1404C Supplementary Report

Research program

Benefit Cost

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