A strengthened primary industries sector, a healthy natural environment, and strong plant and animal health safeguards are the goals of the state government's ambitious legislative reform agenda.
Modern and flexible legislation is needed to deliver on those goals.
A significant milestone in this agenda was the recent passage through Parliament of the Veterinary Services Bill 2023.
This bill was developed to align with today's veterinary profession and the standards expected by the public.
The new act supports animal health, safety and welfare through changes to the way veterinary services and premises are registered and regulated and recognises the significant changes to the profession that have occurred in the past 20 years.
Veterinarians play a key role in animal, human and community wellbeing through maintaining the health and welfare of our pets and supporting productivity and growth of our livestock industries.
We want veterinarians to have clear pathways to return to the profession after time away, and better access to information about how they are regulated.
We want the processes for dealing with complaints against veterinarians to be transparent both for the public and the profession.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regions will now work closely with the Veterinary Surgeons Board of South Australia to prepare for the commencement of the new act, with the aim of a smooth transition.
There are increased pressures on South Australia's - and the nation's - biosecurity system.
These come from increased movement of goods and people, climate challenges, changes in land use, ecommerce and changes in global pest and disease dispersion.
A new Biosecurity Bill has been developed to ensure South Australia has a modern, flexible, and responsive biosecurity framework that is fit for the future.
Biosecurity is a shared responsibility, involving preventing, eliminating, minimising, managing and controlling biosecurity risks, to protect our food security, the natural environment and South Australia's agribusinesses.
There was an eight-week public consultation on the draft bill from the start of August 2023 and about 60 submissions were received from a wide range of organisations and individuals.
Stakeholder feedback was carefully considered and has informed further refinement of the draft bill, which is now being considered for introduction to Parliament in the new year.
We made amendments to the Livestock Act 1997 at the end of last year, and these have been incorporated into the new Biosecurity Bill.
These reforms are crucial to improving the wellbeing of South Australians and advancing the state's economy.
A successful state government reform agenda relies on strong collaboration between government, industry and the community.
I encourage everyone with an interest in our primary industries and regional communities to engage and work with us to deliver effective and forward-thinking legislation.
By doing so, we will position our primary industries and regions to be resilient and prosperous for generations to come.
- Clare Scriven is SA's Primary Industries, Regional Development and Forest Industries Minister
