Updated Draft Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025-2032

Protecting what we value

The Gold Coast's vibrant lifestyle and natural environment are part of what makes our city special. Invasive plants and animals can impact these values by affecting native ecosystems, farming, recreation and other areas of daily life.

The Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025-2032 sets out how regulated invasive plants and animals are managed across our city and supports our obligations under Queensland biosecurity legislation.

The Plan was adopted by Council in February 2025. Since then, updates to Queensland biosecurity legislation, changes to regulated invasive species listings, and new information from monitoring and reporting have highlighted opportunities to review parts of the Plan.

We are proposing updates to the Plan to ensure it remains current, practical and effective.

What’s changing?

The updated Draft Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025-2032 includes changes to:

  • regulated invasive species listings and classifications
  • species risk assessments
  • management objectives
  • information about biosecurity responsibilities
  • guidance on monitoring, reporting and working together to manage invasive species.

For more detail, please view the Summary of Changes document.

You Said, We Did

During consultation on the draft Plan in 2024, you told us you wanted more information about management priorities, responsibilities and reporting. We've used that feedback to improve the updated Plan.

Explain management priorities more clearly: we have simplified and clarified explanations of how management objectives are determined.

Make responsibilities easier to understand: we have expanded guidance on shared responsibility and biosecurity obligations.

Improve community awareness: there is an increased focus on awareness and the importance of reporting.

Support coordinated action across land tenures: we have strengthened guidance on working together across the city.

Explain why species receive different management objectives: we have clarified that management objectives identify the most appropriate management response for each species.

For more information about the 2024 consultation, you can view the Community Engagement Report.


Have Your Say

Read the updated Draft Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025-2032 and Summary of Changes, then share your feedback by completing our short survey.

We value your input. Participants can go into the draw to win one of 5 $100 EFTPOS gift cards (terms and conditions apply).

Consultation is open from 3 November to 23 November 2026.

Your feedback will help ensure the Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025-2032 remains practical, effective and responsive to the needs of our community.



Protecting what we value

The Gold Coast's vibrant lifestyle and natural environment are part of what makes our city special. Invasive plants and animals can impact these values by affecting native ecosystems, farming, recreation and other areas of daily life.

The Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025-2032 sets out how regulated invasive plants and animals are managed across our city and supports our obligations under Queensland biosecurity legislation.

The Plan was adopted by Council in February 2025. Since then, updates to Queensland biosecurity legislation, changes to regulated invasive species listings, and new information from monitoring and reporting have highlighted opportunities to review parts of the Plan.

We are proposing updates to the Plan to ensure it remains current, practical and effective.

What’s changing?

The updated Draft Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025-2032 includes changes to:

  • regulated invasive species listings and classifications
  • species risk assessments
  • management objectives
  • information about biosecurity responsibilities
  • guidance on monitoring, reporting and working together to manage invasive species.

For more detail, please view the Summary of Changes document.

You Said, We Did

During consultation on the draft Plan in 2024, you told us you wanted more information about management priorities, responsibilities and reporting. We've used that feedback to improve the updated Plan.

Explain management priorities more clearly: we have simplified and clarified explanations of how management objectives are determined.

Make responsibilities easier to understand: we have expanded guidance on shared responsibility and biosecurity obligations.

Improve community awareness: there is an increased focus on awareness and the importance of reporting.

Support coordinated action across land tenures: we have strengthened guidance on working together across the city.

Explain why species receive different management objectives: we have clarified that management objectives identify the most appropriate management response for each species.

For more information about the 2024 consultation, you can view the Community Engagement Report.


Have Your Say

Read the updated Draft Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025-2032 and Summary of Changes, then share your feedback by completing our short survey.

We value your input. Participants can go into the draw to win one of 5 $100 EFTPOS gift cards (terms and conditions apply).

Consultation is open from 3 November to 23 November 2026.

Your feedback will help ensure the Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025-2032 remains practical, effective and responsive to the needs of our community.



  • 2024 Consultation

    The Draft Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025 to 2032 supports the City to meet its statutory obligations under the Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014 while helping to preserve the city’s lifestyle and environment.

    The plan determines the risk and the feasibility of controlling an invasive plant or animal at a citywide scale. These scores were then used to allocate each invasive plant and animal a citywide desired management objective.

    Our four desired management objectives are:

    1. Prevention – invasive species not known to be established in the city.
    2. Eradication – an effective strategy when the invasive species population is small, all individuals

    The Draft Gold Coast Biosecurity Plan 2025 to 2032 supports the City to meet its statutory obligations under the Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014 while helping to preserve the city’s lifestyle and environment.

    The plan determines the risk and the feasibility of controlling an invasive plant or animal at a citywide scale. These scores were then used to allocate each invasive plant and animal a citywide desired management objective.

    Our four desired management objectives are:

    1. Prevention – invasive species not known to be established in the city.
    2. Eradication – an effective strategy when the invasive species population is small, all individuals are exposed to effective controls, no immigration occurs and individuals are always removed at a rate exceeding their rate of increase (Cromarty et al., 2002).
    3. Containment – the most effective strategy when the pest has an established population within parts of the city but can be eradicated from new sites.
    4. Asset protection – successful management of widespread invasive species is measured by a reduction in impacts to the asset being protected.

    This plan will be implemented by everyone dealing with invasive plants and animals (risk owners) developing action plans to meet the desired management objectives.

    The City and Biosecurity Queensland will monitor the implementation of action plans through approved biosecurity surveillance and prevention and control programs.

    To have your say, complete our online survey and go into the draw to win one of five $100 gift cards (terms and condition apply)

    Community engagement runs from 15 October to 28 October 2024.

Page last updated: 03 Nov 2026, 10:44 AM