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APBSF first funding round in 2018 showed the demand for plant biosecurity science
The Foundation’s first round focussed on delivering further impact from PBCRC investments. The Board was delighted to receive over 50 applications, totalling over $1.4m in requests, highlighting the significant need for national investment in plant biosecurity science.
Foundation call for investment proposals proves popular again!
The 2019 funding round called for proposals in the following areas: environmental biosecurity (with clear overlap with social and community biosecurity), and in particular myrtle rust (with clear linkages to the Draft National Action Plan – below); building on the social biosecurity program of the PBCRC, including indigenous engagement; urban and peri-urban biosecurity; opportunities to […]
Workshop: tracking and forecasting of pest and pathogen movements (PBSF028)
Project Leader Hazell Parry, CSIRO Status Complete Background Parallel research has been undertaken in both the UK[1] and Australia[2] that considers the risks posed by the long-distance atmospheric movement of insect pests and pathogens. This currently takes a range of independent methodological approaches: Atmospheric dispersal modelling Radar technology Near-ground monitoring Genetics A Rothamsted Research-CSIRO Linkage […]
Urban plant biosecurity: Using a foundational approach to understand emerging risks, support resilient cities and safeguard rural industry (PBSF027)
Project Leader Jessica Lye, cesar Dr Helen McGregor, Redefining Agriculture Status Active Background Australian cities are undergoing a high rate of growth. Creating ‘urban forests’ to boost resilience in the face of future challenges is widely accepted as a necessary strategy to achieve resilience and in response local governments are developing urban agriculture strategies. In […]
Australian Strawberry growers equipped with biosecurity knowledge
This Foundation-funded project delivered Masterclasses to Australian strawberry growers to increase their awareness and adoption of farm biosecurity practices. Growers considered most of the farm biosecurity practices discussed as ‘easy’ to adopt, particularly those that were not costly or time consuming to implement. 75% of participants adopted one or more of the biosecurity practices on […]
Boosting biosecurity awareness and action in the international post-border freight and logistics industry
The Foundation supported NSW DPI to undertake a program of activity for biosecurity in the post-border freight and logistics industry. This came on the back of two post-border detections of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) in 2017-18 in NSW. These detections led to a cost-shared emergency response between agricultural industries and government under the […]
2019 Pest Invaders competition and big hit with the kids
The 2019 ‘Pest Invaders’ competition, sponsored by the Foundation, was a huge success with 153 schools registered from across Australia and just over 3,600 students directly engaged in experiments and activities to help them discover the impact invasive pests have on the native environment and agricultural production, on both a national and international level. A […]
Biosecurity Surveillance Scavenger Hunt for the International Year of Plant Health (PBSF026)
Project Leader, Organisation Jordan Bailey, NSW DPI Status Contracting Background 2020 is the International Year of Plant Health and the Foundation, in conjunction with NSWDPI, will highlight the importance of biosecurity, the role it plays in protecting Australian agriculture and how citizen scientists can help. We are aiming to reach a large number of the […]
Expanding environmental biosecurity capacity to protect unique ecosystems on K’gari (Fraser Island) (PBSF025)
Project Leader, Organisation Geoff Pegg, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Status ACTIVE Background Exotic pests threaten cultural and environmental biodiversity values unique to Australia. Myrtle rust is a significant invasive pathogen of the native environment. The Australian Government has responsibility for maintaining World Heritage values under the World Heritage Convention ensuring biosecurity risks are […]