The annual collaborative workshop between the Plant Industries Biosecurity Committee (PIBC) and Plant Health Committee (PHC) was held on Wednesday 26 March 2025 to strengthen the partnership between the two committees.

PIBC and PHC are committed to a consultative and collaborative relationship, bringing together their collective knowledge across industry and government. This partnership focuses on delivering outcomes that enhance Australia’s national plant biosecurity system, including improvements to management, implementation, and compliance along the biosecurity continuum.

These workshops assist both committees in working towards this shared goal. The recent workshop was the fifth collaborative meeting since 2021 and align with the strategic priorities of both PIBC and PHC.

This year’s workshop focused on ‘incentivising grower adoption of high health practices’, building on the outcomes from the 2024 forum. Last year’s joint PIBC-PHC workshop, held in Adelaide in a hybrid format, featured a series of presentations on the establishment of government and industry data standards.

Chaired by John McDonald (PIBC Chair) and Michael Reid (PHC Chair), the 2025 workshop adopted a similar format and expanded discussions to consider opportunities to incentivise uptake and recognise grower participation in plant high health processes.

Held in a hybrid format with PHC members based in Perth, the workshop included industry-government partnership case studies, Q&A session, and scenario break-out groups to explore opportunities and challenges.

Presentations from experts outside the plant biosecurity sector, including BioSecure HACCP, provided fresh perspectives that challenged conventional thinking. Participants also engaged actively in scenario planning exercises to explore future regulatory arrangements and implications for industry-specific biosecurity strategies.

The next step is to translate these discussions into concrete outcomes through a detailed report. This report will outline strategic directions and actionable insights to guide future industry support and partnership efforts.

John McDonald and Michael Reid said, ‘This workshop underscores our shared commitment to strengthening the partnership between industry and government.’

‘By challenging conventional thinking and collaboratively exploring new approaches, we’re laying the groundwork for practical strategies that incentivise growers and elevate plant health practices’, they said. ‘We look forward to translating these insights into meaningful outcomes that benefit our national biosecurity system and grower sustainability.’

Over the coming months, the committee chairs will continue to develop the outcomes and actions from the workshop and progress these between both committees. Planning will commence later this year for the next joint workshop, scheduled for March 2026.