| In our first newsletter 2024, we are delighted to welcome Dr Beth Cookson as Australia's new Chief Veterinary Officer, who brings her extensive experience in emergency animal disease preparedness from Northern Australia. The Chief Plant Protection Officer, Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith continues to engage with international colleagues, presenting on Australia's plant health system to the UK Royal Society of Biology and will be soon attending the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures meeting in Rome, where she has been invited to present on Australia's biosecurity response to Panama TR4 disease. The Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer, Dr Bertie Hennecke, has been overseeing crucial field activities concerning Red Imported Fire Ants, visiting Queensland to participate in the inaugural project board meeting of the National Fire Ant Eradication Program. In other developments, the Catalysing Australia's Biosecurity project has officially launched, in collaboration of the department with CSIRO and a range of other partners. With a $55 million injection of funding and an additional $1 billion allocated for biosecurity in the 2023-2024 budget, the project will leverage cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and genomics to enhance diagnostic capabilities. |
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Australian Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer (ACEBO) |
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Putting the focus on locusts |
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| After experiencing eight major devastating locust plagues, the Australian Plague Locust Commission was formed in 1974. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Commission continues to deliver a national approach to locust control, while investigating new and better ways of doing things to be ready to face tomorrow's challenges. |  |
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Making an impact - funding environmental biosecurity innovation |
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| Australia's environmental biosecurity system is being enhanced through a range of projects, as part of the Environmental Biosecurity Project Fund. We have recently partnered with the Atlas of Living Australia to create a biosecurity alerts system, empowering citizen scientists to promptly report invasive species sightings for control. |
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Red Imported Fire Ant headquarters visit |
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| The Australian Chief Environment Biosecurity Officer, Dr Bertie Hennecke and his team travelled to Berrinba in Queensland to see first-hand the control methods being used to contain and eradicate Red imported fire ants from Australia. |
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Nominations for the Australian Biosecurity Awards open soon |
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| Nominations for the Australian Biosecurity Awards open soon – now is the time to start thinking about a biosecurity champion you would like to nominate. |
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Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer (OCVO) |
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Introducing new Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Beth CooksonDr Beth Cookson has been appointed as Australia's Chief Veterinary Officer following the retirement of Dr Mark Schipp in December. |  |
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Animal health collaboration in Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea |
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| In early 2024, officers from the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer travelled to Timor-Leste to help with a large-scale canine rabies vaccination program. |
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Australian veterinary expertise seconded to FAO in Indonesia |
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| Australian veterinary technical expertise was provided to Indonesia to support the control of foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease. |
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One Health contribution to FAO Asia-Pacific Regional Conference |
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| Dr Raana Asgar, the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer's secondee to the FAO's Subregional Office for the Pacific recently presented a paper on 'One Health through a Pacific lens', at the 37th FAO Asia-Pacific Regional Conference Senior Officials Meeting in Samoa. |
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Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer (ACPPO) |
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Government science showcased at Parliament HouseIn late February, two of our Chiefs attended the Government Scientists Group Parliamentary Friends of Science Showcase, an event promoting scientific expertise and capability from 24 government departments to parliamentarians and leaders of academic peak bodies. |  |
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Solomon Islands and Australia collaborate on plant health biosecurity |
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| Biosecurity Solomon Islands and Honiara Herbarium staff together with departmental staff have recently conducted a plant health survey in the Solomon Islands. |
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Benefits of an early warning system for exotic pests |
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| With the explosion of citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist, an opportunity exists to use these platforms as an early warning system for the detection of exotic plant pests. A new collaboration has established automatic alerts for suspect exotic pest detections, facilitating prompt response and follow-up by relevant jurisdictions. |
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Pest Profile: Polyphagous shot-hole borer |
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| Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB) is a tiny beetle that bores into living trees, causing damage and dieback. It tunnels into the tree's stems and branches and spreads with the movement of infested trees, firewood, and green waste material. |
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Up-coming events- 21 March: ACPPO webinar – How herbarium collections support plant biosecurity
- 2-4 April: Nudgeathon challenge on biosecurity, Brisbane
- 8 – 11 April: ACVO leading the Australian delegation to the annual Quads Alliance meeting, in New Zealand
- 15-18 April: ACPPO attending Commission for Phytosanitary Measures, Rome
- 24 April: ACPPO Webinar – How we work: Import Risk Analysis and Market Access
- April: Bilateral meeting with the UK Chief Veterinary Officer
- 4-6 June: HortConnections Conference, Melbourne
- 8-9 May: PBRI Symposium, Cairns
- 12 May: International Day of Plant Health
- 13 – 15 May: Food with Purpose 2024 Conference, Gold Coast
- 23 May: ACPPO Webinar – Community Engagement: Lessons from the PSHB response
- 26 – 30 May: ACVO leading the Australian delegation to the 91st General Session of the World Organisation for Animal Health, France
- 13 June: ACPPO webinar – Future trends impacting Australian plant biosecurity
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| We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. |
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