The Department of Primary Industries is the

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the state government of Queensland, Australia, a Parliament, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Government is formed by the party or coalition that has gained a majority in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, ...

department responsible for developing

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

's primary industries. The section known as Biosecurity Queensland is responsible for

biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, plants, animals etc.) intentionally or unintentionally outside their native range or within new environments. In agricult ...

matters within the state. The department was called the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries prior to November 2024.

Functions

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries provides expertise and support that increases primary industries productivity, expands markets and assists with adaption to change. It conducts research, policy advice, protects against pests and diseases, maintains

animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...

standards, as well as managing fisheries.

History

The first functions of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries began in 1855 when a

sheep scab ''Psoroptes'' is a genus of mites, including the agents that cause psoroptic mange. Psoroptic mange ''Psoroptes'' mites are responsible for causing psoroptic mange in various animals, leading to economic losses among farmers of cattle, sheep ...

inspector began work in the New South Wales colony of

Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...

. After Queensland's Separation, livestock diseases were addressed through regulations administered by the Stock Branch in the Queensland Colonial Secretary's Office. The Stock Branch was established by the Queensland chief inspector of stock Patrick Robertson Gordon. The department has been formerly known by various title, with various legislative responsibilities. Its previous names have been: * Department of Agriculture (17 June 1887 – 1 January 1904) * Department of Agriculture and Stock (1 January 1904 – 26 September 1963) * Department of Primary Industries (26 September 1963 – 26 February 1996) * Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries and Forestry (26 February 1996 – 29 June 1998) * Department of Primary Industries (29 June 1998 – 12 February 2004) * Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (12 February 2004 – 25 March 2009) * Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (25 March 2009 – 3 April 2012) * Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (3 April 2012 – 16 February 2015) * Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (16 February 2015 – 1 November 2024)

Biosecurity

The Biosecurity Queensland section is responsible for coordinating efforts to minimise the risks and effects of threatening pests and diseases. Biosecurity Queensland is responsible for

weed management Weed control is a type of pest control, which attempts to stop or reduce growth of weeds, especially noxious weeds, with the aim of reducing their competition with desired flora and fauna including domesticated plants and livestock, and in natu ...

in the state. In 2009, Biosecurity Queensland was successful in its attempt to eradicate a

citrus canker Citrus canker is a disease affecting ''Citrus'' species caused by the bacterium '' Xanthomonas citri''. Infection causes lesions on the leaves, stems, and fruit of citrus trees, including lime, oranges, and grapefruit. While not harmful to huma ...

outbreak in

Central Queensland Central Queensland is an imprecisely-defined geographical division of Queensland ( a state in Australia) that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton. The region extends from the Cap ...

. The Tree of Knowledge was successfully

cloned Cloning is the process of producing individual organisms with identical genomes, either by natural or artificial means. In nature, some organisms produce clones through asexual reproduction; this reproduction of an organism by itself without ...

in 2008 by workers at the former Department of Primary Industries. The overarching federal legislation, ''

Biosecurity Act 2015 The ''Biosecurity Act 2015'' is an Act of the Parliament of Australia which manages biosecurity risks in Australia at the national border. It was enacted on 16 June 2015, after the Bill was passed with bipartisan support on 14 May 2015. It co ...

'', the state's ''

Biosecurity Act 2014 Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, plants, animals etc.) intentionally or unintentionally outside their native range or within new environments. In agricult ...

'', and the ''Queensland Biosecurity Strategy 2018–2023'' govern and guide the department's responsibilities with regard to

Research

In 2009, Primary Industries and Fisheries (now Primary Industries) together with the

University of Queensland The University of Queensland is a Public university, public research university located primarily in Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. Founded in 1909 by the Queensland parliament, UQ is one of the six sandstone ...

were granted federal funding to study how

methane emissions Increasing methane emissions are a major contributor to the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, and are responsible for up to one-third of near-term global heating. During 2019, about 60% (360 million tons) of methane r ...

from cattle and sheep could be reduced.

Publications

From 1897 to 1921 the department published the ''

Queensland Agricultural Journal The ''Queensland Agricultural Journal'' was a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (formerly the Department of Agriculture and Stock). It was established in 1897, with William Alexander Je ...

''.

Notable staff

George Alexander Currie Sir George Alexander Currie (13 August 18964 May 1984) was an agricultural scientist, university professor and administrator. He was born in Grange, Banffshire, Scotland on 13 August 1896.Alexandre Arsène Girault Alexandre Arsène Girault ( ; 9 January 1884 – 2 May 1941) was an American entomologist specializing in the study of chalcid wasps. An eccentric and controversial figure, Girault was also a prolific and dedicated entomologist. He published mor ...

, entomologist *

Ernest James Goddard Ernest James Goddard (20 February 1883 – 17 January 1948), was an Australian professor of biology. Education Ernest James Goddard was born on 20 February 1883 in Newcastle, New South Wales, one of six sons born to Alfred and Elizabeth Godda ...

, science coordinator *

Bela "Bert" Grof Bela "Bert" Grof (9 June 1921 – 17 November 2011) was a Hungarian-born Australian agricultural researcher with contributions to grassland and forage research in the tropics. Education and early professional life Grof was born in Győr, Hungar ...

, agricultural researcher *

Christopher Sheehy Sir Christopher Sheehy OBE (25 December 1894 – 31 August 1960) was one of Queensland's and Australia's leading dairy industry administrators. Early life, family background and education Sheehy was born at Gympie, Queensland, the third of six ...

, dairy administrator * Lindsay Stuart Smith, botanist

References

External links

* {{Government of Queensland Agriculture and Fisheries Agriculture in Queensland