About the Network - Plant Surveillance Network

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About the Plant Surveillance Network

The Plant Surveillance Network Australasia-Pacific (PSNAP) enables members to communicate about plant pest surveillance and acts as a coordination point for surveillance professionals and practitioners to strengthen surveillance capacity and capability across Australia, New Zealand and the nearby region.

The network was formed in 2017 as an initiative of the Subcommittee on National Plant Health Surveillance (SNPHS).

The concept of the Plant Surveillance Network follows the success of the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network (under the Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostics).

Our objectives

  1. Improve skills

    Build capacity and capability in the plant pest surveillance community.

  2. Facilitate connections

    Create pathways between surveillance practitioners and those requiring surveillance outcomes.

  3. Share knowledge

    Sharing tools and resources developed across the network that will assist increase the efficiency and consistency of plant pest surveillance outcomes.

The National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Professional Development and Protocols Projects are coordinated and delivered by Plant Health Australia and are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The objectives of the Projects are to enhance and strengthen Australia’s surveillance capacity and capability to identify priority plant pests that impact on plant industries, environment and the community.

Our initiatives

PSNAP Professional Development Program

Details

Professional development and training for surveillance practitioners is essential for individuals, surveillance programs and the public good. These activities improve national abilities to undertake surveillance, capture the information and use the data effectively.

Surveillance Residential Program

Details

Improve the national plant health surveillance capability and capacity by sharing ideas, building networks and enhancing collaborations.

Development of the Reference Standard for Surveillance Protocols

Details

A surveillance protocol is a technical reference guide for conducting surveillance on a specific plant pest or group of plant pests.

Surveillance pest prioritisation

Details

A process has been developed to provide a nationally agreed design and analysis framework to guide the delivery of plant health surveillance.
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Importance of plant surveillance

Plant pest surveillance activities are critical to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture and the biosecurity systems that protect them. Surveillance activities provide benefits to agricultural industries, the community and the environment.

‘Surveillance’ is a system of making and recording checks or inspections for plant pests (a broad term that refers to invertebrates and pathogens that negatively impact plants, plant products, bees, or edible fungi). Plant pests are estimated to cause losses of 20-40% every year, highlighting the significant impact they have on food production, food security, the natural environment and ecosystems.

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Subcommittee on National Plant Health Surveillance

The Subcommittee on National Plant Health Surveillance (SNPHS) is the subcommittee of the Plant Health Committee that provides advice on national plant health surveillance issues. It is an Australian national group made up of representatives from the Australian government, state and territory governments, Plant Health Australia (PHA) and the CSIRO.

SNPHS aims to improve processes and capability for plant pest surveillance by:

  • Coordinating the development of National Surveillance Protocols for Plant Pests
  • Reviewing and implementing the National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy
  • Coordinating the Plant Surveillance Network Australasia-Pacific
  • Facilitating professional development to support improved plant pest surveillance
  • Facilitating improved standards and methodologies for plant pest surveillance

Subcommittee members

Tim Hurst (Chair)

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Victoria

Aaron Dodd

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) – Commonwealth

Adam Reading

Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania

Adrian Harvey

Rural Solutions, South Australia

Louise Rossiter

Department of Primary Industries, New South Wales

Mariana Campos

CSIRO

Michelle Christy

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia

Nathan Crofts

Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Northern Territory

Rosalie Banks

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland

Sharyn Taylor (Deputy Chair)

Plant Health Australia

Mee-Yung Shin

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Victoria

Surveillance Programs

Partners

Keeping an eye on pests and how to report a suspect pest

Any unusual plant pest, disease or weed should be reported.

Reporting hotlines operate in both Australia and New Zealand (numbers shown below).

Australian Exotic Plant Pest Hotline

1800 084 881

New Zealand Pest and Disease Hotline

0800 80 99 66

Pests can also be reported using apps, such as MyPestGuide® for Australia, that allow you to submit a photo of the pest or symptoms.

Every report is taken seriously and handled confidentially. Management of calls varies in different areas, but to the same end.

MyPestGuide®

Join the Plant Surveillance Network

Join a community of professionals dedicated to strengthening surveillance capacity and capability across the Australasia-Pacific region.

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