Welcome to the December edition of the Three Chiefs Newsletter!
The Chief Plant Protection Officer, Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith and her team have continued international engagement activities with participation in global forums, along with collaboration with Australia's neighbours in the Asia Pacific region. Read updates about work in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Vietnam, and learn how Australia is strengthening its biosecurity capabilities with deployment of new identification technology that enables rapid, cost-effective identification of bacteria and fungi.
The Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer, Dr Bertie Hennecke and his team share updates on the use of artificial intelligence to detect and recognise invasive ants, progress on the National Carp Control Plan, and the use of Advanced Forecasting Models to strengthen locust management. The winners of the 2024 Australian Biosecurity Awards were recently announced – with twelve winners honoured across 9 categories, including two inaugural winners of the First Nations Award for Biosecurity Excellence.
The Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Beth Cookson and her team, provide an update on avian influenza preparedness activities, and extend a warm welcome to new Deputy Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Sam Hamilton. With 2024 being 30 years since Hendra virus was identified in horses in Australia, the virus is the focus of this edition's Pest Profile.
We hope you enjoy this Summer edition of the Three Chiefs Newsletter, and please spread the word to your colleagues to subscribe! |
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Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer (ACPPO) |
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Australian Chief Plant Protection Office International engagement |
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| Collaboration with other countries both directly and through international forums is an integral component of the work of the Australian Chief Plant Protection Office, as part of the department's approach to maintaining our international reputation as an engaged, responsive, and problem-solving participant in international affairs, and protecting Australia's favourable plant health status. |  |
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Strengthening biosecurity capacity and engagement across the Asia Pacific |
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| International capacity development specialists representing multiple areas of the department had a busy October undertaking several biosecurity scoping missions and delivering technical training activities across the Asia-Pacific region. Department staff visited Vanuatu on a biosecurity scoping mission to help expand regional biosecurity support, and Vietnam to deliver technical workshops building plant health surveillance and diagnostic capacity to support trade. |
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Refresher fruit fly trapping training delivered in Papua New Guinea |
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| In October, staff from the Australian Chief Plant Protection Office travelled to Paho Island in Papua New Guinea's Western Province, to deliver refresher training to Treaty Village rangers as part of the Treaty Village Fruit Fly Trapping Program. |
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Technology transforms plant health diagnostics from hours to minutes |
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Australia is strengthening its biosecurity capabilities with technology that identifies potential biosecurity threats in minutes, instead of hours.
The MALDI-ToF MS instruments, which stands for matrix-assisted, laser-desorption/ionisation, time-of-flight mass spectrometry - are revolutionising how we protect our agricultural and environmental assets.
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Australian Chief Biosecurity Officer (ACEBO) |
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2024 Australian Biosecurity Award winners |
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The winners of the 2024 Australian Biosecurity Awards were announced at a ceremony at Australian Parliament House on 25 November 2024. Twelve winners across 9 categories were honoured, including two inaugural winners of the First Nations Award for Biosecurity Excellence. |  |
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Carp control in Australian waterways
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As part of the National Carp Control Plan, the Australian Government is investigating the feasibility of the carp virus Cyprinid herpesvirus 3, for use as a biological control agent to control common carp populations in Australian waterways.
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Strengthening Locust Management with Advanced Forecasting Models
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The Australian Plague Locust Commission collaborated with the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis to develop advanced forecasting tools based on machine learning in response to the challenges posed by the Australian plague locust. Representing a significant advancement in locust management capabilities, the project aims to minimise agricultural losses by allowing the prediction of future locust outbreaks.
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Invasion Alert – using AI to detect and recognise invasive ants
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| Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly finding its way into many aspects of our lives. Now this revolutionary technology is being put to use to help protect Australia from one of the world's worst invasive species – exotic invasive ants. |
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Australian Chief Veterinary Officer (OCVO) |
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Deputy Chief Vet brings first rate knowledge and experience |
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In August 2024, Dr Sam Hamilton, was formally appointed as Deputy Australian Chief Veterinary Officer (Deputy ACVO). Dr Hamilton had been acting in the role since March 2024 and brings a wealth of experience to this position, particularly in the areas of One Health, animal disease preparedness, animal biosecurity, and policy development.
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Investing in avian influenza preparedness |
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Australia remains the only continent free from high pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b (H5N1 HPAI), with unprecedented global spread of this virus and impacts on the poultry industries and wildlife populations abroad in recent years. Australia continues to invest in avian influenza preparedness.
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Pest Profile: Hendra virus |
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This year commemorates 30 years since Hendra virus was identified in horses in Australia. To date, the virus has only been reported in horses in Queensland and New South Wales and never outside of Australia. In recognition of this, in our Pest Profile we shine a spotlight on Hendra virus.
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