In 2023, the Biosecurity Act 2015 (the Act) was amended to give effect to the functions and powers of the Independent Biosecurity Commissioner (the Commissioner). The Commissioner is a statutory officer reporting directly to the Minister.
The Commissioner provides advice to the Minister on issues relating to pests and weeds, undertakes reviews and publishes reports about reviews.
Biosecurity is a shared responsibility – having a Commissioner reviewing and providing independent advice as it relates to pests and weeds drives accountability, clarifies responsibilities, and fosters continuous improvement to help ensure the framework is fit for purpose and protects our primary industries, environment, and communities.
Independent Biosecurity Commissioner
Dr Katherine Clift commenced as the State’s next Independent Biosecurity Commissioner on 1 September 2025.
Dr Clift is a nationally and internationally respected leader in biosecurity, animal welfare, and regulatory reform. She is a veterinarian with a Master of Veterinary Public Health Management, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Executive Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.
Having held senior leadership positions for animal welfare and biosecurity in Victoria, Western Australia, the Australian Government and overseas, Dr Clift brings valuable expertise to support the continued improvement of NSW’s biosecurity systems.
Dr Clift’s appointment reflects her proven leadership, technical expertise, and deep commitment to Australia’s biosecurity and animal welfare systems, while building public trust through strong partnerships and innovation.
Workplan of the Commissioner
The Commissioner’s workplan aligns to the statutory functions prescribed in the Biosecurity Act 2015 and includes:
- Providing advice to the Minister for Agriculture, or other Ministers and the Government about issues relating to pests and weeds;
- Undertaking reviews on issues relating to pests and weeds and preparing and publishing reports about the reviews;
- Monitoring issues relating to pests and weeds and identifying opportunities for improvement in biosecurity management;
- Promoting landholder coordinated and collaboration on pest and weed biosecurity management issues;
- Working closely with experts and key stakeholders on pest and weed biosecurity matters;
- Making recommendations about matters relating to the exercise of the Commissioner’s functions.
2025-2026 Workplan
Following appointment, the Commissioner was directed by the Minister for Agriculture to prioritise advice on the State’s Cattle Tick Program. For more information, click here.
Following release of the NSW Biosecurity Action Plan 2025-2026, the Commissioner has also been asked to work with the Department to provide input on development of a NSW Biosecurity Strategy, and oversee the implementation of a clear monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework on government’s progress to improve the biosecurity framework in NSW.
Previous reports
The former Commissioner’s work on governance and enforcement has been completed. Dr Healy reviewed governance of pest and weed management in NSW and completed work on opportunities to improve compliance and enforcement. See Governance of pest and weed management in NSW and Compliance and enforcement of pest and weed biosecurity in NSW for further information on these projects.
Annual report
NSW Independent Biosecurity Commissioner 2024-2025 Annual Report (PDF, 2337.87 KB)
Contact
For enquiries related to the work of the Commissioner send an email to biosecurity.commissioner@dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Further information
The Commissioner is committed to providing regular information on the progress of the workplan and updates will be provided on this webpage.