Members of the Plant Health Australia (PHA) team attended the VegWatch Program Management Group meeting in Melbourne from 8-9 July 2025 to support the continued delivery of the program.

The five-year program, which began in 2023, aims to strengthen the vegetable industry’s resilience to exotic pest threats through the development of an industry-led biosecurity framework. VegWatch supports improved pest surveillance, preparedness and management across the sector.

The meeting provided an opportunity for program partners to review achievements and plan upcoming activities. Key items included finalising the High Priority Pest (HPP) list, the Vegetable Industry Action Plan and the Other Pests of Biosecurity Significance, led by PHA with support from AUSVEG. The development of these elements ensures the Vegetable Industry Biosecurity Plan is on schedule for its final review and endorsement.

Program partners and stakeholders also presented on issues shaping future priorities, including grower engagement, strengthening market access, collecting reliable and trusted data, and defining business continuity strategies in the event of a biosecurity incursion.

VegWatch is led by AUSVEG and brings together expertise from PHA, state and territory government departments (the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries) as well as the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, RM Consulting Group, and Onside Intelligence.

PHA will continue to progress key activities over the next 12 months, including a simulation exercise to test AUSVEG’s decision-making capacity during a biosecurity response under the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed.

The next Program Management Group meeting will be held in October 2025.

The Vegetable Industry Biosecurity and Business Continuity Strategy (VG22004) has been funded by Hort Innovation using the Vegetable Industry research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not for profit research and development corporation for Australian Horticulture.