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The 2001 National Quarantine Awards
1 May 2001
The annual National Quarantine Awards were held in Canberra on Tuesday May 1, 2001. The awards were instituted in 1999 to highlight the extraordinary contributions of many Australian organisations and individuals to quarantine.
The awards aim to recognise and reward individuals and organisations that have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their quarantine related activities. Innovation and ingenuity were key features of this year's awards applications, with a high standard demonstrated in all categories.
Awards were presented across eight categories:
- Contribution to Animal Quarantine
- Contribution to Plant Quarantine
- Contribution to Travel and Tourism
- Contribution to Cargo and Importing
- Media and Education contribution to quarantine
- Community and Individual contribution to Quarantine
- Contribution to the protection of the Environment
- Science and Research contribution to Quarantine
This year, award applications were received across a wide range of industries and enterprises, from government departments and the corporate sector to community groups. The diversity of applications is a reminder of the broad spectrum of activities that are required to ensure effective quarantine measures are in place.
According to the judges, the standard of applicants was strong across all categories, representing hundreds of Australians committing their time and energy to quarantine in a wide variety of arenas.
Whether it's raising awareness of quarantine issues or intercepting suspect matter entering Australia, each of the applicants has demonstrated a keen commitment to the preservation of Australia's unique environment and way of life.
Applicants included:
- an indigenous community council who participated in a range of risk minimisation activities
- a Visitors Centre who made it their business to raise quarantine awareness among tourists
- a business who developed a safer and more confined means of fumigating cargo
- a customs broker who took the initiative to develop a system of notifying authorities about high risk sea vessels
- an educator who wrote a series of affordable books about plant protection for higher education institutions
- a fast growing family business displaying effective safety precautions in a high-risk area.
Judging involves expert panels for each category and a National Awards panel. The national winner is chosen from among the category winners.
The National judging panel included:
- Professor Malcolm Nairn, Chairman, Quarantine and Export Advisory Council
- Ms Meryl Stanton, Executive Director, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
- Mr Michael Taylor, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia
- Mr Andrew Inglis, Deputy Chairman, Quarantine and Export Advisory Council
Additional information on the awards and quarantine issues can be found at www.aqis.gov.au
For further information
Contact: Ben Smith or Jamie Snashall, Professional Public Relations
Phone: 02 6239 1333
Fax: 02 6239 1322