Issue 7 | January 2024

ASW 2024 | Register for virtual attendance  

The Annual Surveillance Workshop (ASW) 2024, presented by the Plant Surveillance Network Australasia-Pacific (PSNAP) will be held from Wednesday, 20 March - Thursday, 21 March 2024 at the Twin Towns Conference Centre, Tweed Heads, NSW/Queensland.  Planning is well underway with guest speakers and the workshop program being announced in the coming weeks. 

The theme of ASW 2024 is Surveillance in remote locations: challenges, solutions and incorporating community engagement. The workshop will focus on surveillance topics in a range of difficult to reach locations such as urban and rural environments across the Australasia-Pacific region. 

ASW 2024 is an important opportunity for PSNAP members to exchange tips and techniques, share knowledge, and to network with colleagues to discuss their projects and experiences. The workshops will build capability for plant biosecurity surveillance in the region. 

If you are unable to attend the event in-person, you can register for virtual attendance using the button below. Upon registration, a MS Teams meeting link will be shared with you to attend virtually.

Refreshed PSNAP website now offers expert register 

Members can now easily search the member directory via the member portal, to search PSNAP members by name, location, network segment, expertise or crop specialties. 

This refresh serves to strengthen the connections within the PSNAP network, enabling PSNAP members to find and contact with other members based upon their expertise and/or location. 

Log into the portal and get to know your fellow PSNAP network members today! 

The National Biosecurity Training Hub is now live 

Plant Health Australia (PHA), the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Agriculture Victoria, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, and Animal Health Australia, have partnered to create the National Biosecurity Training Hub - Australia’s first one-stop shop for biosecurity training.

The Hub unifies and streamlines training to facilitate national visibility of biosecurity-related training across government, industry and community in a single location. The Hub is a centralised platform that supports biosecurity prevention, preparedness, response and recovery by providing users with access to the latest biosecurity-related training materials and courses suited to different industries, levels and skill sets.

Designed with learners in mind, the Hub is easy to navigate with a library of plant, animal and aquatic biosecurity training that is searchable using a topic, keyword, location and preferred method of delivery. The quality assurance protocols ensure each course listed meets the required standard.

3rd Australian Biosecurity Symposium, August 2024 

Registration, abstract submissions, and sponsorship opportunities are open for the 3rd Australian Biosecurity Symposium taking place 27 - 29 August 2024 at the Sea World Resort, Gold Coast, QLD.  

The two-day Symposium will cover the themes of Innovation, Immersion, and Inclusivity. Delivered by the Biosecurity Collective, the Symposium aims to connect key decision-makers, innovators, and researchers to positively shape the future of the Australian biosecurity landscape. 

Important dates: 

• Abstract submissions due by Sunday, 31 March 2024 
• Early bird registration closes Wednesday, 15 May 2024 

Calling all students – PBRI Plant Health Student Network

The Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative (PBRI) Plant Health Student Network was established in September 2022. Since its inception, the Student Network has attracted over 250 students globally and has delivered online meetings that focus on student-identified needs.

Meeting topics have included career journeys, the value of science communication, writing tips/tricks and provide perspectives from a diverse range of invited guests of varying ages, locations and fields (industry, university, government).  

Preparation for the 5th PBRI Plant Health Student Network online meeting is underway. During the one-hour meeting, invited speakers will detail their career journeys and the value of mentorship. This will be followed by a discussion on the Ritman Scholarships and the upcoming application process.  The MS Teams invite for the 5th meeting will be sent to all PBRI Plant Health Student Network members prior to the event. 

To find out how to join the Network or for more information on the Ritman Scholarships, visit the PSNAP website by clicking on the button below. 

Careers in surveillance

Visit the careers page on the PSNAP website to keep up to date with current job and PhD scholarship advertisements. 

The following job opportunity is being advertised:  

• Senior Botanist – Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (closes Tuesday, 30 January 2024 at 11.00pm AEDT).  

PhD scholarship opportunities

• Biology and epidemiology of foliar diseases of macadamia (Ecosciences Precinct (University of Queensland) 

• Epigenetics of Pest Nematodes (Charles Darwin University (CDU) and CSIRO) 

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.