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Plant Health Australia (PHA) is pleased to release the National Plant Biosecurity Status Report for 2018 which documents some of the key events of the year and the many layers of the plant biosecurity system that is protecting our plant industries and our environment. More

PHA is  counting down to the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) 2020. PHA and the Department of Agriculture are helping to coordinate promotion of the year in Australia.

The year-long campaign is being led by the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO). More

PHA is excited to announce the appointment of a Diagnostics and Surveillance Networks Coordinator who will provide support to the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostics Network (NPBDN) and the Plant Surveillance Network Australasia Pacific (PSNAP). More

Following successful meetings in Adelaide, Perth and most recently Canberra, forums to consult on establishing a National Forest Pest Surveillance Program will be held in all other Australian capital cities in September.

The Canberra forum held in early August brought together ACT and Australian Government stakeholders to discuss the biosecurity risks that threaten urban trees, native forests and forest plantations. More

The enthusiasm of the participants at Exercise Blueprint held in Toowoomba on 7–8 August highlights the desire of the cotton industry to be ready for a real-life exotic pest incursion.

Exercise Blueprint used a fictional detection of cotton blue disease on a cotton farm near Dalby, Queensland, in a range of discussions and activities to find out how the cotton industry would respond to an incursion of this exotic pest. More

Plant Health Committee, Australia’s peak government biosecurity policy and decision-making forum, met in Perth from 29 July to 1 August. The committee brings together the Chief Plant Health Managers from each state and territory and the Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer. More

On National Tree Day (28 July 2019) Plant Health Australia highlighted the importance of safeguarding our native, plantation and urban forests from overseas pests.

Australian forests are free from many significant pests that impact production and trade overseas. More

A report published in May 2019 on Exercise Fastidious identifies ways to further strengthen Australia’s preparedness to respond to a detection Xylella fastidiosa.

Australia is currently free of all X. fastidiosa subspecies and known vectors of the disease found overseas, however, if it established in Australia it could cause significant environmental and economic impacts. More

After decades of working with broadacre farmers across the country, Bill Gordon is looking forward to the challenges presented in his new role as the Grains Biosecurity Officer for NSW.

Employed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Bill will be working in the Grains Farm Biosecurity Program which is funded by Grain Producers Australia and managed by Plant Health Australia. More

PHA’s Biosecurity Online Training (BOLT) system provides free access to e-learning courses related to plant biosecurity. In response to demand for more training options, a new course called Pest Reporting and Responses has been developed.

The course is for growers, farm workers and agronomists and aims to provide them with a better understanding of reporting and responding to plant pests in Australia. More