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BioSIRT
What is BioSIRT?
BioSIRT (Biosecurity Surveillance Incident Response and Tracing) is a spatial and textual, web based software application that has been developed to enable better management of information and resources in emergency responses across animal or plant diseases, pests and incursions.
The BioSIRT program is fully supported and funded by all states and territories and the Commonwealth.
Where did BioSIRT come from?
State and territory agencies, responsible for agriculture/primary industry, have the responsibility for monitoring and control of the various incidents which may threaten the environment and agricultural production.
Biosecurity for Australia’s primary industries and the broader environment depends upon the ability to launch appropriate response action in the event of a serious incident. Failure to prevent and or control these incidents could result in billions of dollars lost in export revenues as well as increases in production costs.
The BioSIRT application was developed in conjunction with the Commonwealth and state and territory governments because of the need for a more effective and nationally coordinated approach in the response to emergency incidents and routine activities. For these reasons the Primary Industries Ministerial Council agreed that BioSIRT would eliminate information barriers that could enhance emergency response management.
What can BioSIRT do?
BioSIRT will be used by each jurisdiction for managing emergency and routine incidents. The application will enable information such as location of disease detection to be quickly exchanged between jurisdictions to facilitate a coordinated response with national consistency in recording, reporting and managing emergency incidents.
Outcomes and Benefits
The BioSIRT program will achieve the following outcomes:
- Reduce the time to act or decide on action to be taken during an emergency response thus reducing the impact of the incursion.
- To support industry sustainability by providing a capacity to report disease status.
- Less duplication across the animal and plant emergency responses and jurisdictions resulting in operational efficiency and savings.
When will BioSIRT be in full use?
The first version of the BioSIRT application has been released and is currently being trialled by jurisdictions in routine surveillance activities. Jurisdictions are working towards emergency ready status by December 2008 to manage all emergency responses to animal and plant disease, pest or incursions, nationally.
Preliminary training has been delivered in the jurisdictions with formal “Train the Trainer” training scheduled for delivery over the coming months.
Where can I get more information?
Contact the BioSIRT National Program Manager by email or phone (02) 6272 3170.