Strategy 1
Adopt nationally consistent plant biosecurity legislation, regulations and approaches where possible within each state and territory government’s overarching legislative framework
Recommendation 1
Establish a framework for plant biosecurity legislation that promotes harmonisation and consistency of regulation for trade in plants and plant products within Australia, in accord with the principles of domestic trade and Australia’s international rights and obligations
Action 1.1 Establish an agreed, nationally consistent risk assessment method for trade in plants and plant products in accordance with International Plant Protection Convention International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 2 (Framework for Pest Risk Analysis)
Action 1.2 Address complex, inconsistent legislative processes and language via the development of a framework that delivers nationally consistent approaches to the biosecure trade of plants and plant products in Australia
Action 1.3 Ensure that legislation and agreements are in place to meet all Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed requirements and that bilateral/multilateral arrangements are in place to remove any impediments to cross border emergency responses
Action 1.4 Align domestic and international market access policy and operations to identify and capture efficiencies in their delivery through integrated export systems and processes
Action 1.5 Review domestic and international phytosanitary certification processes for the movement of plants and plant products, focusing on the national adoption of electronic systems for certification by government inspectors and by businesses accredited under approved schemes
Action 1.6 Develop a process for government and industry education and training on regulatory processes and obligations at national and international levels
Recommendation 2
Provide resources and appropriate processes to ensure the development and implementation of nationally consistent plant biosecurity legislation and regulations
Action 2.1 State and territory governments commit sufficient resources to implement the actions recommended under this strategy
Strategy 2
Establish a nationally coordinated surveillance system
Recommendation 3
Facilitate the development of a nationally coordinated and targeted surveillance system that provides intelligence, supports the early detection of exotic plant pests, reports evidence of area freedom, enhances pest incursion responses and supports the effective management of established pests
Action 3.1 Establish nationally agreed standards and plans for the collection of surveillance data for priority plant pests for the purposes of early detection and market access
Action 3.2 Establish a national surveillance coordination centre with responsibility for reviewing the national design, collection, capture and analysis of data
Action 3.3 Establish a mechanism to engage industry, regions and communities to ensure broader recognition of the importance of surveillance and collection of surveillance data
Action 3.4 National surveillance protocols should be developed and linked with Quality Assurance systems and accreditation to act as a driver for creating capacity and capability
Strategy 3
Build Australia’s ability to prepare for, and respond to, pest incursions
Recommendation 4
Continue to review and improve emergency response efficiency and effectiveness through improved processes, decision making, education, training and accreditation of personnel
Action 4.1 Continually review and improve joint industry and government decision making and response management arrangements to ensure they are rapid, collaborative, clear, effective, efficient and meet stakeholder expectations
Action 4.2 Gain national commitment to ensure emergency response training is available, delivered at the appropriate frequency and meeting role needs
Action 4.3 Increase efficiency by identifying and addressing gaps and overlaps in responsibilities of relevant national, state and territory, and regional authorities in emergency management roles
Action 4.4 Develop a nationally agreed approach where eradication is technically not feasible
Action 4.5 Develop forecasts of expected production by plant industries as a biosecurity risk management, preparedness and response tool
Action 4.6 Stakeholders provide resources to ensure that baseline capacity is sufficient to meet normal commitments under the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed and similar instruments, through the development of normal commitments benchmarks, performance standards and regular reporting
Action 4.7 Develop pre-agreed, risk based national response and cost sharing arrangements for pests not covered by existing arrangements
Recommendation 5
Develop contingency plans or business continuity plans covering all High Priority Pests
Action 5.1 Develop contingency plans or business continuity plans for all identified High Priority Pests with the allocation of agreed national roles and responsibilities
Recommendation 6
Develop a national risk based decision making and investment framework that guides the efficient allocation of plant biosecurity resources, maximising return on investment and establishing a transparent and objective decision making process
Strategy 4
Expand Australia’s plant biosecurity training capacity and capability
Recommendation 7
Maintain and enhance Australia’s plant biosecurity training capability and capacity to underpin the ongoing needs of the national plant biosecurity system
Action 7.1 Develop a national training framework (at both tertiary and vocational levels) to fill existing and anticipated future skill gaps
Action 7.2 Assessment and appropriate allocation of Australian Research Council and Research & Development Corporation funding that contributes to the training of Australian scientists in plant biosecurity related disciplines
Action 7.3 Link undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships to industry and government employment opportunities
Action 7.4 Develop a mechanism to generate surge capacity in laboratory and operational staff in the event of an Emergency Plant Pest incursion
Action 7.5 Instigate annual plant biosecurity workshops to enable professional networking and information exchange
Strategy 5
Create a nationally integrated diagnostic network
Recommendation 8
Develop a nationally integrated plant biosecurity diagnostic network that underpins Australia’s plant biosecurity system
Action 8.1 Establish a nationally integrated plant biosecurity diagnostic network
Action 8.2 Establish a harmonised approval process for the transfer of suspect and confirmed samples of priority plant pests between laboratories
Action 8.3 Establish an integrated and coordinated network of diagnostic centres based on Australia’s climatic zones
Action 8.4 Key roles and responsibilities agreed amongst agencies on a nationally coordinated basis
Action 8.5 Design and develop a National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Strategy within the National Plant Biosecurity Strategy framework, which identifies key goals, objectives, timelines and resource requirements
Action 8.6 Develop a process to encourage new diagnosticians to enter the field and enable continued professional development of current diagnosticians
Recommendation 9
Implement, maintain and manage appropriate quality management systems in plant biosecurity laboratories undertaking diagnostic testing
Action 9.1 Develop a network of plant biosecurity diagnostic laboratories that have the ability to deliver diagnostic testing to the quality required by the customer
Action 9.2 Governments to take responsibility for establishment and ongoing costs of maintaining appropriate quality systems for diagnostic laboratories
Recommendation 10
Endorsed National Diagnostic Protocols for all High Priority Pests be developed and maintained
Action 10.1 Regularly prioritise diagnostic protocols for development and review using a contemporary risk based approach
Action 10.2 Develop a national policy to facilitate access to reference material and positive controls for diagnostic tests by ensuring appropriate processes and containment protocols are in place for their importation, storage and handling
Strategy 6
Enhance national management systems for established pests
Recommendation 11
Enhance the national management system for established pests
Action 11.1 Develop a nationally integrated approach for management of significant established pests that consolidates information into national data sets
Action 11.2 Establish systems to accurately determine the cost of pest management operations and guide the effective allocation of resources
Action 11.3 Develop national decision making support tools that can assess the likely spread and impact of established species and determine shifts in pest risk profiles
Action 11.4 Integrated Pest Management should be encouraged where applicable as the baseline for established pest management operations
Action 11.5 Promote and facilitate active development and introduction of new plant varieties using both traditional breeding and other plant biotechnology techniques (including genetic modification), where consistent with state and territory legislation, that are resistant to pest attack and better adapted to regions subject to climate change and variability
Strategy 7
Establish an integrated national approach to plant biosecurity education and awareness
Recommendation 12
Develop an integrated national approach to plant biosecurity communication between all key stakeholders
Action 12.1 Use Industry Biosecurity Plans and other relevant documents as a base to establish and develop specific sectoral awareness packages
Action 12.2 When developing plant biosecurity operational and extension plans, ensure specific stakeholder needs are taken into account
Action 12.3 Through the National Communications Network develop a National Biosecurity Communication Strategy
Recommendation 13
Processes need to be defined that identify, engage, evaluate and sustain community engagement and capture plant biosecurity information
Action 13.1 Community engagement strategies should be supported with infrastructure that enables feedback and follow up to be provided to community participants, delivering wider community engagement and valuable plant biosecurity information
Action 13.2 Develop processes that support the identification and characterisation of small and large agricultural enterprises in Australia
Strategy 8
Develop a national framework for plant biosecurity research
Recommendation 14
Establish a national framework for plant biosecurity research
Action 14.1 Conduct a national plant industries research and development stocktake on a regular basis
Action 14.2 Identify and prioritise key research and development areas in plant biosecurity
Strategy 9
Adopt systems and mechanisms for the efficient and effective distribution, communication and uptake of plant biosecurity information
Recommendation 15
Establish a national plant biosecurity information management framework to optimise data sharing
Action 15.1 Develop, implement and maintain standardised information systems nationally, both within government and industry, for the collection, analysis and retrieval of surveillance data
Action 15.2 Develop a system that enables the sharing of diagnostic data nationally and complete a stocktake of existing data management systems in plant biosecurity laboratories
Action 15.3 Develop systems and strategies for efficient storage, effective distribution and uptake of research and development outcomes
Action 15.4 Ensure that existing data systems of relevance to plant biosecurity are linked to future systems
Strategy 10
Monitor the integrity of the plant biosecurity system
Recommendation 16
Monitor the integrity of the plant biosecurity system in conjunction with, and on behalf of, all stakeholders, through Plant Health Australia
Recommendation 17
Develop an implementation plan for the delivery of the National Plant Biosecurity Strategy in conjunction with, and on behalf of, all stakeholders, through Plant Health Australia
Action 17.1 A National Plant Biosecurity Strategy Implementation Committee be established to develop an action plan that can direct the implementation of the National Plant Biosecurity Strategy in accordance with the recommendations and actions presented within the strategy
