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Spotted something unusual? Report plant pests and diseases
Unusual plant insect pests, insect damage or disease symptoms should be reported as soon as possible. What you have found could be an emergency plant pest and a major threat to your industry.
The following Australia wide reporting services are available:
- Exotic Plant Pest Hotline
A service for the country's plant industries and plant health service providers.
- New plant pest report form
A service for diagnosticians to use when reporting diagnoses of suspected or known emergency plant pests, where more specific information is known to assist with response.
Why report?
Emergency plant pests that enter and/or take hold in Australia have the potential to seriously affect the country’s profitable and sustainable plant industries.
The early detection of emergency plant pests, followed by rapid reporting, is vital for successful containment and eradication. It can prevent or minimise the costs associated with responses to emergency plant pest incursions. These costs include domestic and overseas market losses, eradication, ongoing control and monitoring.
Failure to report new plant pests and diseases to Australia in some parts of the country is an offence and penalties may apply.
What should I be looking for?
Some of the key emergency plant pests to be on the look out for are listed at:
- Horticulture and grains - pests and diseases watch list
- Forestry and timber - pests and diseases watch list
- National eradication programs - emergency plant pests
Exotic Plant Pest Hotline
If you have found a plant pest or disease that you suspect is exotic to Australia, or an unusual plant pest or disease symptom that you haven’t seen before, report it immediately. Call the Australia wide Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881. All calls to the hotline are free except those from mobiles.
The hotline operates during normal business hours. Calls to the hotline will connect you to your local Department of Primary Industries or Agriculture. Knowledgeable staff will be able to help you determine whether the plant pest or disease you have found is exotic to Australia and provide you with advice on what to do.
Spotted anything unusual? promotional material can be downloaded from the Plant Health Australia website.
What information will I need to provide when phoning the Hotline?
You may be asked any of the following questions by the DPI officer. The answers to these questions will assist in determining the most appopriate course of action.
- what pest or disease is suspected on the property?
- (if not you) the name of the owner and/or farm manager
- full address and telephone number of the property
- types of planting, broad acre, orchard
- type of planting, wheat, barley, citrus etc
- where were the affected plants sourced from?
- quantity of planting in number or hectares
- current harvest cycle, eg currently harvesting or recently sown
- signs of disease or description of pest
- are there pickers on the property?
- is there a packing shed on the property?
- what action has been taken so far?
- has machinery moved on or off the property?
- is machinery shared with neighbouring properties?
- is the property in an exclusion zone, eg fruit fly or rice exclusion?
- details on access to the property
- recent use of chemical or calendar sprays
- is irrigation used and if so what type?
New plant pest report form
If you have made an initial or confirmatory diagnosis of a plant pest or disease and suspect or know it to be an Emergency Plant Pest, then report it immediately.
Complete either the online or downloadable new plant pest form below to notify your local Department of Primary Industries or Agriculture of your finding.
- Download online new plant pest report form
- Download plant pest report form
Word [51kb]
Reporting will allow your local department to investigate your finding and if necessary, trigger an appropriate response for emergency plant pests that may affect Australia's plant industries.
If you have taken photos of the plant pest, pest damage or disease symptoms, you can send these directly to the officer who will be in contact with you about your report.
The form is an Australia wide service for plant entomologists and pathologists from government, research institutions (including universities), commercial diagnostic laboratories, and even amateurs and hobbyists.
What to do if there is a pest incursion or plant disease outbreak
- Report the suspect weed, pest or disease by phoning the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881 or contact your local agriculture department.
- Take reasonable action to isolate the problem area and do not touch or disturb the site to minimise spreading the pest or disease.
- Describe the detection site in sufficient detail to allow a person to return to the exact location if necessary. You can tag or mark the site with a non-degradable ribbon or flag to assist relocation, or mark the site on a map or sketch a map to identify the detection site.
- Take note of the symptoms and the plant upon which you found the pest.
- Clean any boots, clothes and equipment that have been used on soil and plant material at the site.
If you are waiting for confirmation of a pest or disease, use the following precautionary measures:
- Restrict operations in the area by withdrawing people, vehicles and equipment from the area.
- Restrict access to the area to agriculture department authorities.
- Clean and disinfect your hands, clothing and any equipment that has been in contact with affected area.
- Apply interim control and containment measures as advised by your agriculture authority.