The Annual Surveillance Workshop (ASW) and the Annual Diagnostics Workshop (ADW) are networking events for plant biosecurity diagnosticians and surveillance practitioners to come together to share knowledge and learnings.

This year the joint Annual Diagnostics and Surveillance Workshop (ADSW) will be held in Canberra at the QT Hotel 9 –11 May 2023. Please note that Day 3 (11 May) will be an optional field trip. The event will be delivered as a hybrid workshop with in-person and virtual attendance.

Guest speakers include renowned Australian biosecurity, diagnostics and surveillance experts including Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith (Australia’s Chief Plant Protection Officer), Dr Jo Luck (Director of the Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative), Dr Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn (Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO), Dr Kevin Thiele (Director of the Biodiversity Data Repository project at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water), Prof Geoff Grossel (Director of Biosecurity Research at Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry), John McDonald (National Biosecurity Manager at Greenlife Industry Australia) and Irene Kernot (Research Program Manager Horticulture at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research).

The theme of this year’s workshop is ‘Implementation through connections’:

• Session 1: Implementation and sharing new technologies.
• Session 2: Capacity building to connect surveillance and diagnostic practitioners.
• Session 3: Outreach and engagement to implement and connect our work.
• Session 4: Reconnecting with the building blocks of the plant biosecurity system.
• Session 5: Connections across our National Surveillance Protocols and National Diagnostic protocols.
• Session 6: The wider industry connection – R&D implementation and the pathways to connect.

In-person attendance at ADSW 2023 is limited. Registered in-person participants will be confirmed before 6 April 2023.

ADSW2023 is facilitated by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and funded by DAFF as a part of the ‘National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostics and Surveillance Professional Development and Protocols’ projects.

Registrations close on 31 March and numbers are limited. Additional registrations will be added to a waiting list.

Register now

Note: Travel and one night of accommodation will be provided for ADSW speakers and confirmed participants (note this is limited to NPBDN and PSNAP members only). Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) staff are not eligible for travel funds. DAFF staff are encouraged to submit an abstract and discuss with managers.

NPBDN and PSNAP members will be supported through the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic and Surveillance Professional Development and Protocols Projects, coordinated and delivered by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The objectives of the project are to enhance and strengthen Australia’s diagnostic capacity and capability to identify priority plant pests that impact on plant industries, environment and the community.