Digital systems supporting national biosecurity
Plant Health Australia’s (PHA) Digital Systems team has produced annual summary reports for three platforms endorsed by the National Biosecurity Committee as nationally significant infrastructure: AUSPestCheck®, the Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD), and the Pest and Disease Image Library (PaDIL).
The reports outline key usage metrics, platform highlights, and details of future enhancements. Containing millions of records for plant pest identification, diagnosis and surveillance, these valuable systems continue to support the Australian biosecurity system. The reports will be produced annually, with future releases targeted for the first quarter of each year.
AUSPestCheck® is a secure, cloud-based environment where government, industry and research partners can contribute, visualise and share surveillance data to strengthen national biosecurity outcomes.
The APPD is a secure and restricted national online database of voucher plant pest and pathogen specimens, aggregating records from 16 reference collections around Australia.
PaDIL is an open online repository of more than 7,200 records containing high-quality diagnostic images and information on plant pests and diseases. The platform supports biosecurity decision-making by government and industry stakeholders in Australia and internationally.
Did you know?
- The Bactrocera (fruit fly) genus has the largest volume of surveillance data with almost 8 million records captured in AUSPestCheck®. These records reflect strong and ongoing surveillance efforts for fruit fly and demonstrate AUSPestCheck®’s role in providing a robust, secure national view on surveillance data.
- APPD records include species of arthropods including insects, mites and arachnids; gastropods including slugs and snails; nematodes; fungi; viruses; bacteria; and weeds all of which may adversely affect agricultural production or natural ecosystems.
- Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB) is a pest beetle affecting over 500 plant species, making it a significant threat to Australian agriculture and the environment. PSHB is PaDIL’s most-viewed species page for 2025, highlighting the platform’s value to users and reinforcing PSHB’s status as a key priority pest.
Download the reports
