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This year, PHA coordinated and developed the Biosecurity Plan for the Berry Sector (Version 1.0, December 2020) in collaboration with government and industry. The plan will help the berry sector to continue to minimise and manage biosecurity risks to ensure its future growth and sustainability. More

Members of the Plant Surveillance Network Australasia-Pacific are now better connected following the launch of a new website in December at the Annual Surveillance Workshop 2020.

By improving links between surveillance professionals and providing specialised training opportunities such as the workshop, the network aims to strengthen plant pest surveillance capability and capacity. More

Since its detection across northern parts of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia in February 2020, fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has been quick to establish in these locations, but Plant Health Australia (PHA) has announced new resources to assist in defending crops against the pest. More

The path towards a more coordinated and sustainable fruit fly management system to protect the future productivity and profitability of Australia’s horticulture sector is now clearer with the release of the 2020-25 National Fruit Fly Strategy. More

With Covid-19 and other biosecurity risks placing unprecedented pressure on our biosecurity system, more than 250 champions from across Australia’s and New Zealand’s biosecurity sectors came together for a virtual workshop to discuss how we can mobilise a 25 million-strong biosecurity mass movement. More

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dr Kim Ritman, Australia’s Chief Plant Protection Officer.

Many of you will have met and worked with Kim and understand that he built a deep and rich legacy within the biosecurity and scientific community, across industry and government and all sectors more broadly, and with anyone who knew him. More

Plant Health Australia (PHA) has launched a new online course on the fundamentals of plant biosecurity in Australia.

The new course is called Plant Biosecurity in Australia and replaces the old PHA Foundation Course.

The content of the old course was completely refreshed to keep up with an evolving Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed and the needs of plant biosecurity stakeholders. More

In early July, Sarah Corcoran commenced as CEO of Plant Health Australia (PHA), the national coordinator of the government-industry partnership on plant biosecurity.

PHA Chair, Steve McCutcheon, said Sarah was awarded the position in April following a rigorous recruitment process undertaken by the PHA Board. More

As part of a continuing, national effort to measure the resistance of insects in stored grain to phosphine, the Victoria’s Grains Biosecurity Officer, Jim Moran, wants to visit farms to collect insects in and around grain storages.

The project is funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation via grain grower levies and will benchmark the distribution of insect resistance to phosphine around Australia. More

Plant Health Australia (PHA) has produced a video and fact sheet in nine languages to raise awareness amongst transient farm workers of the simple things they can do to reduce their risk of spreading plant pests and diseases.

Transient workers are a crucial part of the workforce for many farm businesses but bringing workers onto farm, from overseas or other parts of Australia, can pose a biosecurity risk. More