The National Biosecurity Response Team (NBRT) program builds national biosecurity emergency response capacity and capability through collaborative partnerships, and the provision of professional development activities and exercises.
The NBRT is a group of trained and experienced personnel that may be deployed to assist a jurisdiction in the response to biosecurity incidents. NBRT members are personnel from government agencies with knowledge, experience and training in emergency management, incident management or more specifically, responding to biosecurity incidents. The NBRT is cross- sectoral and could deploy to the response to an animal, plant, aquatic or environmental biosecurity incident as well as natural disasters (e.g. bushfires).
How the NBRT works
Animal Health Australia manages the NBRT outside of biosecurity response activities. Members of the NBRT participate in relevant professional development opportunities including exercises and workshops to enhance their capabilities in responding to biosecurity incidents.
During a biosecurity response, NBRT members may be deployed in a State Coordination Centre or Local Control Centre during the response to a biosecurity incident, and work in various functions including Incident Management, Liaison, Public Information, Planning, Operations and Logistics.* Members may also be called upon to assist with the real time evaluation of response activities.
In cases where a combat jurisdiction requires additional support, NBRT members may have the opportunity to be deployed under the Interstate Deployment Arrangements, an arrangement between the Australian, state and territory governments that facilitates the request for, and provision of, interstate support.
More information
Additional resources
*Biosecurity Incident Management System 2012