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The Australian citrus industry is a large and vibrant horticultural industry, with over 28,000 hectares of citrus planted by approximately 1,400 growers. The industry provides significant value to rural communities and the wider economy, and without adequate preparedness future biosecurity threats pose serious risks to the $942 million industry. More

Plant Health Australia (PHA), Agriculture Victoria (AgVic), and industry representatives from AUSVEG and the Australian Table Grapes Association, collaborated to design and deliver Exercise Aggregate: Industry liaison training earlier this month. More

Plant Health Australia (PHA) continues to develop new partnerships to support and build biosecurity capacity in Australia.

As part of a Commonwealth-funded project, Safeguarding Indigenous-led forestry in northern Australia, PHA has been working with forest health and Indigenous engagement specialists from the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (NT DITT), Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF), and University of the Sunshine Coast to provide forest biosecurity training to Gumatj Corporation and Traditional Owners in East Arnhem Land and to Plantation Management Partners and Tiwi Plantations Corporation employees based on the Tiwi Islands. More

PHA’s Rohan Burgess, Dr Matt Hill, and Trevor Dunmall recently attended the Northern Australia Food Futures 2023 conference in Darwin. Themed ‘Northern myths, opportunities and realities’, the conference covered a range of topics that showcased northern opportunities, influenced policy creation, and attracted investment to the area. More

The second workshop in a project investigating requirements for the development of a Nationally Integrated Surveillance System for Plant Pests (NISSPP) was held early in June, following the recent Plant Health Australia (PHA) Member meetings. Plant industry and government representatives converged to discuss the delivery and resourcing requirements for plant pest surveillance. More

Themed ‘Where to from here?’, the Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference was held at the University of Sydney from 21-23 June 2023. Over 90 participants from Australasia attended the three-day conference, highlighting research and management approaches that have been undertaken since myrtle rust was first reported in Australia. More

An intensive three-day Nanopore Sequencing for Biosecurity workshop was delivered by the Centre for Crop and Disease Management at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, from 27-29 June.  Three NPBDN members from across Australia were supported to attend the workshop through the National Plant Diagnostic Professional Development Protocols Project, coordinated and delivered by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. More

In the coming months Plant Health Australia (PHA) will be hosting two national workshops to progress the development of a National Action Plan for Pests of Timber and Trees and its associated Implementation Schedule.

The workshops will offer an opportunity to test and refine proposed actions for the National Action Plan for Pests of Timber and Trees. More

An ever-changing risk landscape requires Plant Health Australia (PHA) to explore new ways to achieve and operate with a high level of vigilance and future focus. During the first six months of the new financial year our full portfolio of work aligned to our five-year strategic plan, that supports and strengthens Australia’s biosecurity system, continues. More

Continuing Plant Health Australia’s (PHA) plant biosecurity lecture series, Project Officers Luke McKee and Rebecca Powderly recently presented to students at the Australian National University (ANU) studying Agricultural Systems, and students at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) studying a Diploma of Horticulture. More