Annual Diagnostics and Surveillance Workshop 2022

This year, the Annual Diagnostics and Surveillance Workshop (ADSW) was held from 30 August to 1September in Melbourne. The theme of the hybrid workshop was “Surveillance and Diagnostics- integrated to inspire and innovate” and the program had three subthemes:

Subtheme 1:      Integration and innovation: cases and opportunities for bringing elements of the biosecurity system together

Subtheme 2:      Inspiration and discovery of the new

Subtheme 3:      National surveillance program updates

The workshop was facilitated by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) as a part of the “National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostics and Surveillance Professional Development and Protocols” projects.

Surveillance related workshops delivered at ADSW 2022 include:

• MYPESTGUIDE® in action
• The tale of AUSPestCheck® and the high-quality surveillance data lifecycle

Both workshops registered a total of 106 attendants in-person and virtually.

From a poll conducted by DPIRD WA, 61% of participants attending the MyPestGuide® in action workshop had not heard of or used the MyPestGuide® surveillance and diagnostic system before the workshop, whilst 80% of registered ADSW participants who did not attend this training for various reasons, expressed a desire to attend similar workshops in future. The feedback received from this training workshop and the ADSW 2022 poll will be used to shape PSNAP’s professional development activities moving forward.

ADSW Highlights

• 45 abstracts received
• 132 participants in person
• 69 participants (virtual)
• 7 workshops (training, side meetings) – 29 and 30^th August; 1^st and 2^nd September
• 9 sessions
• 9 guest speakers
• 4 panel discussions
• Diagnostic and Surveillance Residential updates
• Student session (first ever)
• Trade show (latest technologies on display)
• Networking socialising event