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Boosting biosecurity awareness and action in the freight and logistics industry (PBSF015) COMPLETE

Project Leader, Organisation Nic Schembri, NSW Department Primary Industries Status COMPLETE Background Three recent incursions in Greater Sydney have highlighted the risks associated with the importation of goods into Australia and spread from the ports and Intermodal Terminals. These incidents also highlight the need for vigilance from transport and warehouse workers to identify and report […]

Updating Charles Darwin University’s ‘ENV521 – Community Engagement for Biosecurity and Natural Resource Management’ unit (PBSF014) COMPLETE

Project Leader, Organisation Nyree Stenekes, ABARES Status COMPLETE Background Charles Darwin University expressed interest for ABARES Social Sciences team to review the current unit titled ‘ENV521 – Community Engagement for Biosecurity and Natural Resource Management’, which forms part of the national curriculum for biosecurity. Considerable new insights in behaviour change and gaining community support have […]

National Masterclasses to Improve Biosecurity for Control of Soil-borne Diseases on Strawberry Farms (PBSF013) COMPLETE

Project Leader, Organisation Dylan McFarlane, Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority Status COMPLETE Background Charcoal rot and Fusarium wilt of strawberry crops have dramatically increased in importance since the withdrawal of the pre-plant fumigant methyl bromide, and are threatening the viability of the Australian industry. Methyl bromide was highly effective against these diseases, and growers did […]

Expanding environmental biosecurity capacity to protect our unique ecosystems (PBSF012 COMPLETE)

Project Leader, Organisation Geoff Pegg, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Status COMPLETE Background Exotic pests threaten cultural and environmental biodiversity values unique to Australia. Myrtle Rust is the second significant plant pathogen to invade the native environment in Australia and several reviews have highlighted serious gaps relating to Australia’s environmental biosecurity. The Australian Government […]

Expanding Indigenous communities biosecurity surveillance and monitoring capacity to care for country and to protect country from pest and diseases (PBSF011) CLOSED

Project Leader, Organisation Linda Ford, Charles Darwin University Status Closed Background In 2012 -2018, Australia and New Zealand successfully completed a Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre project 4041 ‘Building Resilience in Indigenous Communities through Engagement – a Focus on Biosecurity Threats’. The project presented traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western knowledge into a framework designed to […]

Pursuing sensitive limits of biochemical geographic discrimination as generic tool for high risk pest Plants (PBSF010) COMPLETE

Project Leader, Organisation David Murphy, Queensland University of Technology Status COMPLETE Background PBCRC2111 (https://www.pbcrc.com.au/publications/pbcrc2272/) demonstrated Sr isotopes and trace metals as a powerful tool for geographic discrimination, but the method was limited to fruit flies and required pooling of samples (5-20 flies per analysis). Continued method development at QUT has led to a novel MS-MS […]

Plant Epidemiology: host susceptibility to Myrtle Rust (PBSF004) COMPLETE

Project Leader, Organisation Associate Professor Jennifer Firn, Queensland University of Technology Status COMPLETE Background The Threatened Species Committee consider Austopuccinia psidii (myrtle rust, MR) as a serious threat to biodiversity due to impacts on ecologically, culturally, socially and economically important plant species from the Myrtaceae family. Over 350 species in Australia are known as susceptible. […]

Reversing the impact of Banana blood disease in Indonesia (PBSF016) COMPLETE

Project Leader, Organisation Andre Drenth, University of Queensland Status Contracting Background A key strength of Australia’s banana industry is the relative freedom from disease, achieved through exclusion, early detection, containment or eradication. IN addition to a range of known emerging diseases, Indonesia has a unique disease called banana blood disease caused by the bacterium Ralstonia […]

Regional Master Classes in Plant Biosecurity (Indonesia)(PBSF006) COMPLETED

Project Leader, Organisation John Lovett, Lovett Associates. Status COMPLETED Background Following a successful International Master Class (IMC) sponsored by The Crawford Fund and The Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre (PBCRC), held in Denpasar, Bali, in January 2018 a number of proposals was received to mount Regional Master Classes (RMC).  A novel concept, a RMC would […]

Biosecurity Planning workshop, Indonesia (PBSF003) COMPLETE

Project Leader, Organisation John Lovett, Lovett Associates Status Complete Summary The Workshop provided a unique opportunity for Indonesian and Australian interests in biosecurity to meet and discuss possible ways forward for bilateral activity.  Held in Bogor with strong support by Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), this activity built on work carried out by the Bilateral […]