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EDITION 22 | NOVEMBER 2022
Message from the CEO
Welcome to the November edition of Tendrils, our second last e-newsletter for 2022!
Unlike the winding down of activities that usually precedes the end-of-year holidays, the past few weeks have shown that biosecurity is still high on the national agenda.
Board Meetings
Board meeting #109 will be held in Canberra at the Plant Health Australia (PHA) office on Thursday, 1 December 2022.
Member meetings
Members are asked to take note of upcoming member meetings.
Date: 29 – 30 November, 2022
Venue: East Hotel, Canberra ACT
The program, proxy form and voting guidance are available on the PHA website.
Annual Report
PHA’s 2022 Annual Report has been released and is now available for download. The report highlights PHA’s key achievements in the past year against key performance indicators in coordinating and strengthening Australia’s biosecurity system.
Revised EPPRD continues to meet changing needs of biosecurity system
A revised version of the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD) recently came into effect to meet the needs of signatories and a contemporary Australian biosecurity system. The new EPPRD offers enhanced operation and clarity across a number of provisions and outcomes.
Sudden oak death fact sheet updated
PHA recently updated the Sudden oak death fact sheet for the plantation forestry industry. This serious disease affects over 100 plant species. Cool, moist conditions favour the survival, infection and spread of the disease, which impacts avocados, blueberries, plantation forestry, production nurseries, chestnuts, hazelnuts, Macadamias, tea tree, and truffles.
Surveillance and diagnostics key to protect bee industry
With over 29,000 registered beekeepers who own approximately 668,000 hives, keeping Australia’s honey bee population healthy is no mean feat.
Australia’s geographic location, a world-class biosecurity system and programs such as the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program (NBPSP) protect the industry from high priority pests that devastate honey bee industries overseas.
Root knot nematode fact sheet and detection in Australia
Guava root knot nematode has recently been detected in the Northern Territory. It is most frequently recorded in vegetables and aggressively spreads through soil and planning material. Root knot nematode affects growth, yield, lifespan and tolerance to environmental stresses of infested plants. Above ground symptoms include yellowing and wilt while the roots have large galls. Damage to the crop varies from small patches of poor growing plants to complete crop failure. Find out what to look for and how it spreads.
Revamped Biosecurity for Beekeepers course
Beekeepers can now benefit from the revamped Biosecurity for Beekeepers course that makes it easy for beekeepers to find out how to care for honey bees in accordance with the Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice. PHA has redeveloped the online course that now offers an enhanced learning experience with improved functionality and navigation, interactive elements and a fresh look and feel. The course is free for all beekeepers based in Australia and $40 for international enrolments.
A day in the life of a Bee Biosecurity Officer
Hort Innovation spoke with Nikki Jones, a Bee Biosecurity Officer whose work is supported by the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program: Transition program. The project is funded through industry levies and Hort Frontiers and is delivered by PHA, receiving levy funding from the honey bee industry, grains industry, and pollination dependant horticulture industries.
Artificial intelligence tool trialed for high-risk bug detection
Some of Australia’s brightest minds are collaborating to finalise a portable device that uses artificial intelligence to help biosecurity officers more quickly identify high-risk brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) on the frontline.
2022 Ritman Scholars launches new Plant Health Student Network
In May 2022, the PBRI awarded the Ritman Scholarship to four outstanding PhD students, to commemorate Dr Kim Ritman, a foundation member of the PBRI.
PBRI joins Euphresco & B3 NZ to explore global coordination for plant health research
Australia, and the rest of the world, continue to face increasing biosecurity threats to our plant, animal industries and native environment.
AUSVEG: Forecasting the years ahead
AUSVEG invites you to join them for the third of their Annual Vegetable Industry Seminar webinar series.
GPA backs budget biosecurity boost
The Federal Budget provided some positive signs for Australian grain producers who’ve been calling for greater resourcing and investments, to strengthen biosecurity prevention and protections.
Myrtle rust film
A new film shares first-hand stories on myrtle rust fungus from indigenous rangers, scientists and landowners. Learn how our precious species and landscapes are under threat and the conservation actions we can take to save them.
National Pollinator Week 12-20 November
Australian Pollinator Week was founded by Dr Megan Halcroft, of Bees Business, in November 2015. It followed on from a community project called “Bee Aware of Your Native Bees”, which was funded by Western Sydney University and the Environmental Trust.
Hort Innovation fund annual reports
Find all the insights on industry levies for 2021/22 in one place.
Agriculture on a roll, but where to next?
A two-part ABARES Insights series on Australian agriculture draws attention to how changes in the sector over past decades have led to its current success and what will shape its future performance.
Latest from Prevent Fruit Fly
Phytosanitary Irradiation Strategic Workshop
Fruit Fly Engagement Coordinator Chris O’Connor recently attended the ‘Building Capacity in Phytosanitary Irradiation Strategic Workshop’ hosted by Agriculture Victoria in Melbourne. The workshop allowed government, industry, research and service providers to come together and discuss industry experience with irradiation, overcoming the barriers to trade and how irradiation fits with the Australian Food Standards.
Latest from Grains Farm Biosecurity
Stop roadside grain dumping
Roadside grain dumping may not seem like a serious offence, but in addition to being illegal and unsafe, it also poses biosecurity threats with widespread implications for the grains industry and the general public. Dumped grain provides an untreated, unmonitored, unmanaged and very attractive opportunity for stored grain insects and pests to thrive and spread into neighbouring paddocks, farms and districts, creating a significant biosecurity risk.
Look out for tiny hitchhikers in used sea containers
Have you purchased a used sea container for your home, farm or business, even if it was years ago? If so, keep a vigilant eye out for khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) a beetle that can survive in sea containers for many years. Due to its small size, fondness for cracks and crevices and ability to survive without food for extended periods, this hitchhiker pest can travel to Australia inside sea containers.
Q&A With GPA: SA Grains Biosecurity Officer Shafiya Hussein
Shafiya Hussein has been the Grains Biosecurity Officer for South Australia since October 2021, providing expertise and support for growers and industry, to help boost biosecurity awareness and protections in her State.
Bee surveillance program helps to protect grains industry
The National Bee Pest Surveillance Program (NBPSP) is an early warning system to detect new incursions of exotic bee pests and pest bees. Early detection significantly increases the possibility of eradicating incursions and limits the scale and cost of eradication programs. Grain Producers Australia (GPA) Chair and Western Australian grain producer, Barry Large, said the program is important to the Australian grains industry.
Latest from Farm Biosecurity
What happens in a pest incursion?
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of biosecurity when a new pest is found in Australia? Plant pests yet to appear in Australia are called exotic plant pests, also known as emergency plant pests. A recent example would be fall armyworm, which was detected in Australia in February 2020. In anticipation of plant pest incursions, an Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD) came into effect in 2005.
Out and about
PHA’s Rohan Burgess recently attended the National Forest Pest Surveillance training in Sydney. Attendees were taught how to assess trees, recognise symptoms caused by exotic and established pests and how to set up and service traps.
Fruit Fly Engagement Coordinator, Chris O’Connor, represented PHA at the Decade of Biosecurity workshop held in Sydney recently.
The NFFC’s Stuart Burgess caught up with Astrid Hughes from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and Irene Kernot from ACIAR Australia at TropAg 2022 held in Brisbane earlier this month.
The NFFC’s Stuart Burgess caught up with Penny Measham from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and Solomon Balagawi from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries at the 11th International Symposium on Fruit Flies of Economic Importance in Sydney this week.
PHA’s Amanda Yong, National Marketing and Communications Manager with representatives from all state and territory governments, at the National Biosecurity Communication and Engagement Network meeting in Adelaide.
Staff movements
Welcome to Brigit Perry
In October we welcomed Brigit Perry, who joined the Digital Systems team as a Project Officer in Canberra.
Brigit originates from California, USA, and moved to Australia in 2011. She brings a wealth of experience to the Project Officer role, including a background in journalism, over 10 years of administrative support over multiple roles in the community services sector. She also worked for Barnardos in the residential services team and more recently for the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association (ATODA) ACT.
Farewell to Kyra Murray
Last month we said farewell to Kyra Murray who joined PHA earlier this year in a Project Officer role. We wish her well in her future endeavours.
