Queensland biodiscovery industry and Biodiscovery Act

Abstract

Queensland is not just a beautiful place to live and visit. Behind the beauty is unparalleled biodiversity, unique tropical expertise and unsurpassed opportunities. Nowhere else on earth has such rich potential when it comes to our rainforests and reefs as sources of new drug discoveries. In Queensland we are proud of our natural assets and want to ensure biodiscovery is carried out in a sustainable manner. In 2004, the Queensland Government introduced best-practice legislation to create legal certainty for biodiscovery activities in the State. The Biodiscovery Act 2004 (Qld) provides sustainable access to Queensland’s biodiversity and fulfils Queensland’s commitment to Article 15 of the international Convention on Biological Diversity.