NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

What NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development does

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is a state government department under the NSW Government that oversees primary industries and regional development across New South Wales, Australia. The department operates across fishing (recreational, commercial, and aquaculture), hunting, agriculture (broadacre crops, horticulture, pastures, rangelands, and soils), animals and livestock (beef cattle, sheep, dairy, goats, honey bees, horses, pigs, poultry), forestry, biosecurity, climate, and education and training. It serves a diversified base of producers, fishers, hunters, livestock operators, and the general public, delivering regulatory services, research and development, biosecurity emergency management, drought and climate adaptation support, and laboratory and export facilitation services. The department is self-described as a top 1% globally ranked research organisation in plant, animal, and environmental sciences.

DPIRD's core product portfolio combines digital self-service tools (BioResponse NSW app for real-time biosecurity information, Varroa Management Tool for beekeepers, FishOnline for fishing information, Spatial Data Portal for fisheries research, DroughtHub for drought conditions) with regulatory and identification systems (National Livestock Identification System, fishing and hunting licensing) and educational offerings (Tocal College, Tocal Virtual Farm, SharkSmart). These operate as standalone government service offerings rather than a unified software platform, with distribution through state-wide physical offices and online portals.

DPIRD's business model is government-funded: it is a statutory state entity under the NSW Government with no private shareholders, funded primarily through government appropriations. Revenue is not publicly disclosed in standard commercial terms. Some user-facing services carry fees, notably recreational fishing licences on an annual subscription basis and hunting licences, but these are regulatory cost-recovery instruments rather than commercial revenue drivers. The organisation employs 1001-5000 staff and is headquartered in Queanbeyan, NSW, with sub-brands including DPIRD, DPI, Tocal College, BioResponse NSW, DroughtHub, and SharkSmart.

Name

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Legal name

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Website

https://dpi.nsw.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is a state government agency that regulates and supports agriculture, fishing, hunting, forestry, biosecurity, and climate services across New South Wales, delivering research, licensing, and digital tools to primary industry stakeholders and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Agricultural Services

NAICS

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11), Fishing, Hunting and Trapping (114), Animal Production and Aquaculture (112), Aquaculture (11251)

SIC

Forestry (800), Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900), Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Administration (BPAIAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG), State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL), Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Livestock Management (EDAOAOAD), Animal Health Policy, Standards & International Coordination (e.g., WOAH/FAO) (HLAMAJAO)

Keywords

• Primary industries regulation
• Agricultural research services
• Biosecurity management
• Livestock identification systems
• Fisheries hunting licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Queanbeyan

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is a state government agency that delivers regulatory oversight, research, biosecurity management, and educational services across fishing, hunting, agriculture, livestock, forestry, and biosecurity in NSW. It administers recreational fishing and hunting licences, operates the National Livestock Identification System, runs digital service platforms (BioResponse NSW app, FishOnline, DroughtHub, SharkSmart, Varroa Management Tool), and provides agricultural research, laboratory services, climate adaptation support, and export and investment facilitation to primary industry stakeholders.

Product overview

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development offers a unified platform of government services across multiple domains: Fishing (recreational and commercial), Hunting, Agriculture, Animals & Livestock, Forestry, Biosecurity, Climate, and Education & Training. The portfolio includes self-service digital tools (BioResponse NSW app, Varroa Management Tool, FishOnline, Spatial Data Portal), identification and tracking systems (NLIS), educational services (Tocal College, Tocal Virtual Farm), and information portals (DroughtHub, SharkSmart). These products operate as standalone government service offerings rather than an integrated software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tocal College: Agricultural education and training institution
• BioResponse NSW
• DroughtHub
• SharkSmart

Products and services

• BioResponse NSW App Mobile application providing real-time information on biosecurity emergencies across NSW, supporting biosecurity reporting and emergency response for the public and primary industry stakeholders.
• Varroa Management Tool Online tool designed to help commercial and recreational beekeepers manage Varroa mite challenges affecting honey bee populations.
• FishOnline Online resource providing fishing information including fish species, regulations, and fishing locations for recreational and commercial fishers in NSW.
• Spatial Data Portal Portal providing access to spatial data related to fisheries research and management for fisheries stakeholders and researchers.
• National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) System for tracking livestock movements and identification across Australia, administered in NSW by DPIRD for livestock producers across beef cattle, sheep, and other livestock categories.
• Tocal College Agricultural education and training institution offering courses in agriculture and related fields for students and primary industry participants.
• Tocal Virtual Farm Virtual farm education platform providing online agricultural learning resources for students and educators.
• DroughtHub External portal providing information and resources on drought conditions and management for primary producers and the public.
• SharkSmart Shark attack prevention and beach safety information service for the public and beach users in NSW.
• Recreational Fishing Licence Annual recreational fishing licence administered by DPIRD, required for recreational fishers in NSW with applicable fees.
• Hunting Licence Hunting licence issued by DPIRD for licensed hunters and game managers in NSW, accessed through the online portal.
• Agricultural Laboratory Services Laboratory services provided by DPIRD for agriculture, livestock, and biosecurity testing requirements across NSW.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australia's national science agency conducting agricultural, environmental and biosecurity research. Overlaps with DPIRD's R&D mandate but operates federally at a broader portfolio scale and competes for research talent.
• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Australian Government, DAFF): Federal counterpart responsible for national policy on agriculture, fisheries and forestry. Operates at higher geographic scope than DPIRD and is a regulator DPI interacts with on biosecurity and trade matters.

Direct peers

• Agriculture Victoria: Department-level primary industries agency for the state of Victoria. Operates the equivalent agricultural R&D, biosecurity, livestock and fisheries functions and is the closest structural counterpart to DPIRD among Australian state agencies.
• Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Western Australia): Western Australia's primary industries agency with agriculture, fisheries, biosecurity and regional development functions. Closely comparable to DPIRD in structure, mandate and breadth across primary industry verticals.
• Department of Primary Industries (Queensland) / Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries: Queensland's primary industries department with agriculture, fisheries, forestry and biosecurity portfolios. Highly comparable in scope and service-mix to DPIRD, serving a different but analogous Australian state economy.
• Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas): Tasmania's combined natural resources and primary industries agency covering agriculture, fisheries, biosecurity and forestry. Provides an apt comparison for a smaller-state DPI operating a similar integrated mandate.
• Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA): South Australia's primary industries and regions department covering agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, forestry and biosecurity. Directly comparable in mandate, scale of operations, and regional service delivery model.

Regional players

• AgResearch (New Zealand): Crown Research Institute delivering agricultural and animal science research across New Zealand. Comparable to DPIRD's research mission and bioscience service delivery, but focused on the NZ primary sector.
• Plant & Food Research (New Zealand): NZ Crown Research Institute for plant-based and food research. Comparable in its plant and crop science mandate to DPIRD's horticulture, broadacre crops and biosecurity research arms.

Emerging players

• Bureau of Animal Welfare (Victoria) / Animal Health Australia: National animal health and welfare coordination body with overlapping livestock biosecurity, NLIS-adjacent traceability, and emergency animal disease preparedness functions. Interacts with DPIRD on cross-jurisdictional livestock policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xdpird.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/social-media-and-apps
• YouTubedpird.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/social-media-and-apps
• Facebookfacebook.com/nswdpird
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nswdpird

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development