Share your views on the potential measures for bringing in or importing live animals and animal products into Christmas Island or the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
To effectively safeguard the biosecurity of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, we are considering amending existing measures to manage the biosecurity risk of imported goods to an acceptable level. We also acknowledge the islands’ unique needs and recognise the reliance on imports, particularly food.
We have completed an initial review of the current measures for bringing or importing live animals and animal products into Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our review informed the development of the potential measures which are being considered.
The potential measures are for information and feedback only to help us assess their practicality and inform the next steps in policy development. This includes the preparation of risk assessments for bringing in or importing goods into the islands.
The potential measures aim to support the bringing in or importation of goods, while managing biosecurity risk. The changes being considered can be categorised as:
Changing the measures for bringing in or importing of beef, lamb and goat meat, noting the absence of livestock on the islands.
Maintaining current measures for chicken meat, eggs, feathers etc, given the islands’ significant bird populations.
Changing the measures for the bringing in or importing of aquatic animals, e.g. prawns, noting the islands’ extensive marine environment.
The potential measures are for consultation purposes only. They are subject to changes that could result from the consultation and policy development process. Potential measures cannot be used to facilitate the bringing or importing of any goods into Christmas Island or the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Have your say
Review the potential measures on the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) website. You can do this in one of two ways:
review all potential measures as example cases or,
follow the steps below to conduct a manual BICON search.
Share your views via our online survey.
Submit your feedback by 5 pm (AEST) on Tuesday 26 August 2025.
Your feedback and submissions will be considered once this consultation period is concluded. The responses received will inform the next steps of policy development for the bringing in or importing of live animals and animal products into Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.