Wallaby meat detected at Brisbane Airport

According to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the passenger purchased the meat from a local market and should have checked the biosecurity conditions before packing it, as it's not allowed into Australia.

"The meat was declared, and taken for destruction at the airport. No penalty applied as the traveller did the right thing through declaring on their incoming passenger card," a DAFF spokesperson said.

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The import of meat into Australia presents a high biosecurity risk of introducing exotic diseases such as foot and mouth disease.

While diseases like foot and mouth infect hoofed animals, species including kangaroos, Bennett's wallaby, wombats, possums, bandicoots, potoroo, water rat, brown marsupial mouse and echidna can also be infected.

However, such wildlife have shown minimal disease or spread of infection following overseas experimental inoculation with FMD.

And while experimental infection does not always provide a good indication of the likelihood of infection under field conditions, native species are thought to pose minimal risk to livestock during a potential outbreak and it is very unlikely that they would become infected and transmit the disease.

PNG and Australia are currently free of the disease.

FMD is most likely to be introduced through contaminated, illegally imported animal products or through objects contaminated with the virus, that come in contact with susceptible animals.

Infringements up to $2664 can be issued for breaches of the Biosecurity Act by travellers who fail to declare or make false declarations.

The emergence of FMD disease in Indonesia in May 2022 and rapid spread has changed the risk profile for passengers and goods arriving in Australia.

The federal government says it has strengthened its border activities and new measures have been imposed to help prevent an incursion.