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Connect with Australia's Plant Health Coordinators
You can find out about what is happening in the area of Australia's preparedness and response to emergency plant pests and exotic weeds by connecting with our national plant health coordinators.
Why contact a coordinator
Surveillance coordinator
Diagnostics coordinator
Emergency response coordinator
Information systems coordinator
Off-shore capacity building coordinator
There is a lot going on in plant health across Australia. There are many interest groups throughout the country working in different areas of plant health such as research, consultancy, regulation and policy development. Furthermore, there are activities being undertaken at the national level to coordinate these activities. With all this going on there is the chance that there may be duplication of effort, inconsistent approaches, and missed opportunities for collaboration.
By contacting a national plant health coordinator and finding out what other activities are going on, you may be able to:
- ensure that your activities are consistent with national approaches and stategies
- build networks with others in your area of interest
- build upon work already done on a particular subject, and
- maximise the use of resources made available to you.
Australia's national plant health coordinators work in the Office of the Chief Plant Protection Officer (OCPPO). OCPPO and Plant Health Australia provide the national focal point for plant health in Australia. OCPPO also provides the international focal point for plant health in Australia.
Contact: Paul Pheloung (OCPPO), telephone +61 2 6272 3137
Australia’s national surveillance activities for emergency plant pests are being developed to focus on the following three main areas:
- the early detection of new plant pest incursions to enhance rapid response
- detection surveys to support domestic and overseas trade through demonstration of area freedom from particular plant pests, and
- delimiting surveys to define the extent of plant pest incursions and to gauge progress towards eradication.
Some of the main activities to support the above areas are:
- National surveillance programs - Australia has a number of national surveillance programs that serve as early warning systems to detect incursions of emergency plant pests in areas that are major ports of entry for people and goods into the country. These include the: National Urban Hazard Site Surveillance Program; National Exotic Fruit Fly Trapping Program; Asian Gypsy Moth Trapping Program; and the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy managed by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.
- Surveillance Reference Group - A group formed to oversee the development of a National Plant Health Surveillance Framework, including a National Surveillance Network. Further informatin about the group is at Surveillance Reference Group.
- National Plant Health Surveillance Reporting Tool - A web-enabled database that collates summary data on Australia’s plant health surveillance activities delivered by government with a view to including data from industry sectors.
Related links:
- Horticulture and grains - pests and diseases watch list
- Forestry and timber - pests and diseases watch list
- Exotic weeds watch list
- CRC for National Plant Biosecurity - Research Program 3: Surveillance
Contact: Jacek Plazinski (OCPPO), telephone +61 2 6272 4334
Australia is enhancing the capacity of its plant diagnosticians to provide rapid and accurate diagnostics of emergency plant pests threats to Australia's plant industries. This is needed when:
- suspect new plant pests are detected in the country
- eradication or containment programs need ongoing diagnostics, and
- trade disputes over Australia’s plant pest status are made.
Some of the main activities to support the above areas are:
- Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostic Standards (SPHDS) - The subcommittee aims to sustain and improve the quality and reliability of diagnostics for emergency plant pests throughout Australia. More information on SPHDS.
- National diagnostic training scholarship scheme - The scheme provides funds to help scholarship holders gain skills and experience in diagnosing key emergency plant pests.
- National standardised diagnostic protocols - Nationally agreed and internationally accepted diagnostic protocols are being developed for key emergency plant pests.
- Accreditation scheme for diagnostic laboratories - The scheme is being developed to help ensure that: accredited laboratories and specialists are competent to diagnose plant pests; a high standard and reliability of diagnostics is maintained in Australia; and will allow laboratories and specialists to apply for accreditation to perform plant pest diagnosis.
Related links:
- PaDIL (Pests and Diseases Image Library)
- Register your plant health expertise
- CRC for National Plant Biosecurity - Research Program 2: Diagnostics
Emergency response coordinators
Contact: Fiona Macbeth (OCPPO)
Phone: +61 2 6272 4650
Australia is enhancing its ability to manage and coordinate national responses to emergency plant pests and exotic weed incidents, such as incursions affecting Australia’s plant industries and trade disputes relating to Australia’s plant health status claims. This is being done in partnership with governments and plant industries.
Australia needs national arrangements for managing and coordinating responses to emergency plant pest incidents because:
- Australia is seen as one single trading unit
- plant pests, diseases and weeds have no regard for state and territory borders, and
- responsibility lies with both industry and governments.
Some of the main activities to support the above areas are:
- Urban emergency response guidelines - Guidelines are being developed to ensure that new plant pest incursions in and around urban areas are addressed before spreading into agricultural production areas.
- Contingency plans - Plans are being developed for key emergency plant pest threats to Australia, including eucalyptus (guava) rust and Asian gypsy moth. OCPPO also keeps copies of all contingency plans for emergency plant pests developed in Australia.
Related links:
- PLANTPLAN
- Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed
- Industry Biosecurity Planning
- Plant pests and diseases
- Weeds
- National pests and disease outbreaks
- CRC for National Plant Biosecurity - Program 1: Preparedness and Prevention
Information systems coordinator
Contact: Paul Pheloung (OCPPO)
Phone: +61 2 6272 3137
Australia is enhancing its ability to define the nation's plant health status to underpin domestic and overseas trade in plant and plant products. It is also enhancing its ability to help with decision making processes for responses to emergency plant pest incidents such as incursions.
This is being enhanced through the following national information databases.
- Australian Plant Pest Database - Provides web-based access to specimen information contained in plant pest collections throughout Australia. More information about the database is at Plant Health Australia's web page Australian Plant Pest Database.
- National Plant Surveillance Reporting Tool - A web-enabled database which collates summary data on Australia’s plant health surveillance activities delivered by government.
Related links:
Off-shore capacity building coordinator
Contact: Ian Naumann (OCPPO)
Phone: +61 2 6272 3442
Australia is addressing the threats posed by exotic plant pests found in countries to its north through various off-shore activities. These off-shore activities focus on developing plant health capacity in the Southeast Asian region. Major programs include:
- SPS Capacity Building Program - focuses on both animal and plant health in ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries. It helps build the technical, scientific and managerial capacities of the organisations with responsibilities for the management of sanitary and phytosanitary matters within the ASEAN countries. More information about the program is at SPS Capacity Building Program.
- Regional Plant Health Program - looks to improve the capacity of countries in the Southeast Asian region to describe the plant health status of their agriculture industries. It does this by assisting regional countries to build specimen-based pest lists through building competency in: surveillance, diagnostics, specimen preservation, collection and data management.
Related links: