In June, Plant Health Australia (PHA) facilitated a phylloxera preparedness and response exercise for the Western Australia wine industry in Margaret River, helping participants improve their readiness for a potential phylloxera incursion and other plant pest emergencies.

Funded by Wines of Western Australia (WOWA), the exercise was developed through a collaborative partnership between WOWA, the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA DPIRD) and PHA.

The exercise brought together wine producers, industry representatives and government agencies to test response arrangements, build preparedness and support a coordinated approach to managing plant pest incursions.

Participants worked through a fictional phylloxera detection scenario, exploring preparedness and response arrangements for a plant pest emergency. Facilitated by PHA, the discussions considered the potential impacts on businesses, response arrangements, and the decisions and challenges participants may face during an incursion.

The exercise was complemented by presentations from WA DPIRD, which provided an overview of plant pest response arrangements in Western Australia, and how an incident would be managed.

Vinehealth Australia shared information on phylloxera biology, impacts and the importance of preparedness in protecting the wine industry.

Participants also heard firsthand experience from a Victorian wine industry representative managing the impacts of a phylloxera outbreak, providing valuable insight into the operational and personal realities of an incursion.

Combining expert presentations with a practical simulation created an engaging learning experience that strengthened participants’ understanding of plant pest response arrangements and reinforced the importance of preparedness.

The exercise also helped build stronger relationships between industry and government, supporting a coordinated approach to managing future biosecurity risks in Western Australia’s wine industry.