Issue 6 | November 2023

Virtual ADSW 2023 - recording and presentations

The Virtual Annual Diagnostic and Surveillance Workshop (ADSW) 2023, hosted by the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network (NPBDN) and Plant Surveillance Network Australasia-Pacific (PSNAP), was held on 6 October 2023.

Over 130 NPBDN and PSNAP members from across the Australasia-Pacific region joined the 150-minute online event, which was a great opportunity for surveillance and diagnostic professionals to present and discuss topical issues in the plant biosecurity space.

Input from the Networks Implementation Working Group (NIWG), Plant Surveillance Network Working Group, coordination by Plant Health Australia (PHA), and funding provided by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), made this event possible.

Watch the recording and access the presentations by clicking the button below.

ASW 2024 - Surveillance in remote locations: challenges, solutions and incorporating community engagement

Planning for the Annual Surveillance Workshop (ASW) 2024 is underway by the Plant Surveillance Network Working Group (PSNWG). Expressions of interest are closed and abstracts are currently being assessed by the PSNWG. Members with approved abstracts will be notified on Monday 4 December, 2023.

ASW 2024 will be held in Queensland from 20 - 21 March 2024 (venue to be confirmed). The theme of this year's event is “Surveillance in remote locations: challenges, solutions and incorporating community engagement”. The workshop will cover surveillance in a range of difficult to reach locations, from urban to rural environments across the Australasia-Pacific region.

The ASW is an important opportunity for PSNAP members to exchange tips and techniques, share knowledge, collaborate and establish new connections with surveillance professionals. These workshops serve to build capacity and capability for plant biosecurity surveillance in Australasia-Pacific.

Call for abstracts - the 19th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference

The 19th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference (AVPC) will be held at the Aerial UTS Function Centre in Sydney, NSW from 29 July – 1 Aug 2024. Abstracts are currently being sought for the conference, with submissions closing 5pm Wednesday 28 February 2024. Both oral and poster slots are available.

Practitioners, researchers, and policy advisers are encouraged to submit an abstract aligning with the conference theme of "Translating Science into Effective Management".

New podcasts and webinar series

Citrus Australia's podcast ‘The Full Bottle’ brings you the latest information from growers and researchers, aiming to educate, inspire, and entertain citrus growers and businesses around Australia. The podcast is available from most streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube), with new episodes released on the last Monday of each month.

Tune into Episode 18 on "What's bugging citrus biosecurity" to hear from PSNAP members Francesco Martoni and Jessica Lye about research and initiatives that are underway to detect and survey for exotic pests threatening the citrus industry in Australia.

Beyond Myrtle Rust (BMR) is a collaborative, multi-faceted research program by Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) Endeavour fund. The program aims to study the behaviour, ecology, and impacts of the disease myrtle rust (MR) in New Zealand.

As part of the program, Beyond Myrtle Rust is producing a webinar series. Recordings of over 30 webinars in the series are available on the Landcare research website, covering topics including:

pathogen dynamics
ecosystem impacts
novel mitigation techniques
Kaitiakitanga & Māori-led solutions.

Careers in surveillance

Be sure to visit the Careers page on the PSNAP website to keep up-to-date with current career opportunities.

The following three full-time job opportunities are being advertised at the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry:

Senior Laboratory Quality Assurance Manager in the Plant Protection and Environmental Biosecurity (Plant Health Policy branch)
Laboratory Managers - Quality Assurance and Operations in the Plant Protection and Environmental Biosecurity (Plant Health Policy branch)
Assistant Director - Senior Laboratory Operations Manager in the Biosecurity Plant and Science Services division (Science and Surveillance branch)

Applications for all close 1 December 2023.

PhD scholarship opportunities

Three PhD scholarship opportunities are also currently advertised on the PSNAP website. Two are based at Agribio (La Trobe University) and one at the Ecosciences Precinct (University of Queensland).

Career spotlight

This month the spotlight is on Richard Davis, Senior plant pathologist, Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS), Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, based in Cairns, Queensland.

Richard has worked in NAQS for an amazing 22 years and credits his most memorable career achievement as investigating the cause of a devastating dieback disease of the kava crops of the Pacific Islands.

About the Network

The Plant Surveillance Network Australasia-Pacific (PSNAP) enables members to communicate and share skills in plant pest surveillance. It acts as a coordination point for surveillance professionals and practitioners to strengthen surveillance capacity and capability across Australia, New Zealand and the nearby region.

The National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Professional Development and Protocols Projects are coordinated and delivered by Plant Health Australia and are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.