National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy

The National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy provides a framework to strengthen Australia’s plant health surveillance system. It is one of several strategies that supports the broader national biosecurity system through its alignment with the Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity (IGAB) and the National Plant Biosecurity Strategy (NPBS).

The strategy’s vision is that by 2031 the plant health surveillance system protects Australia’s plant industries, economy, environment and community through the improved detection and knowledge of plant pest and weed status. Achieving this shared vision requires collective effort nationally to ensure the people, infrastructure, standards and tools used deliver the highest-quality surveillance activities.

The 2021–2031 strategy is based around six interconnected goals:

Stronger regional, national and international connections
Enhanced and improved capability for an effective surveillance system
Barriers to surveillance and reporting identified and removed
Increased adoption of innovative tools, technologies and approaches
Risk-based surveillance systems and processes developed and maintained
Improved information standards, analyses and infrastructure

Each goal is supported by a series of actions that will guide and support national policy relating to the delivery of plant health surveillance activities and inform investment in research, development and extension. The actions can also be used to guide state/territory, regional and local efforts or efforts by individual governments, plant industries and stakeholder groups.

Annual action plan

The 2022-23 Action Plan complements, supports and builds on the strategy and implementation plan in outlining the key activities that contribute to the delivery of the actions and expected outcomes.

The Action Plan also identifies the lead/champion for each activity to provide transparency and accountability for stakeholders across the system.