Operational Agreements provide for joint decision-making and investment between Deed Signatories in order to achieve specific outcomes for enhanced readiness and response. This section provides guidance and information relevant to developing and negotiating an operational Agreement.
Operational agreements are optional - Deed Signatories do not have to sign one as part of signing the GIA Deed. They involve MPI and one or more industry Signatory and focus on achieving agreed biosecurity outcomes.
The Secretariat, together with the Ministry for Primary Industries, has documented the steps to scope, negotiate and agree an Operational Agreement. This provides a framework that prompts each party to the agreement to identify its high priority biosecurity threats and define the outcomes that are sought from joint investment in readiness and/or response before initiating discussions on an operational agreement. It also allows the development process to be tracked by the parties.
Standard Terms and Conditions
The GIA Secretariat maintains a schedule of standard terms and conditions that may be agreed by parties to form part of specific operational agreements by reference, but separate from the individual OA documents. These standard terms will be updated from time to time, and can be accessed at the link below
Note the OA Standard Terms referenced in a specific OA remain in force until any new version is adopted by OA Signatories.
The operational agreement example template below is from 2014. If you would like to view a more recent template, please contact the Secretariat.
Signing the Deed Guide - June 2017
GIA gives primary industries a direct say in managing biosecurity risk by making them joint decision makers in biosecurity responses.
The GIA response guide and supporting resources have been developed by an industry-government joint working group. The guide is a living document and will be updated as industry and government gain experience working together in biosecurity responses and as the National Biosecurity Response System evolves.
The following documents listed below contain excerpts from the GIA Response Guide for quick reference:
The sections on confidentiality and conflict of interest, provide additional guidance on these topics which are very important in responses.
Readiness cost-sharing commences when an operational agreement is signed (as agreed by the parties), with transitional discounts applying until June 2020. Response cost-sharing will commence when Government introduces the necessary regulations. Transitional discounts apply from July 2017 to June 2023. Minimum commitments are not eligible for cost-sharing.
The fact sheets explain transitional discounts and the Deed's provisions related to cost-sharing.
Financial Arrangements Joint Working Group The Financial Arrangements Joint Working Group was set up to develop guidelines for cost-shares and fiscal caps under GIA. It was temporarily suspended in September 2014. Response Guide Joint Working Group The Response Guide Joint Working Group was established to develop the Response Guide for managing biosecurity responses under GIA.
To report suspected exotic land, freshwater and marine pests, or exotic disease in plants or animals, call the MPI hotline: