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In referencing this document, the preferred citation is: National Plant Biosecurity Status Report (2020). Plant Health Australia, Canberra, ACT. Font cover: Purple cabbage kale growing in the fieldwith water dews stock photo The National Plant Biosecurity Status Report 2020 Contents Forewords 6 Citrus 80 INTRODUCTION 9 Cotton 82 Australia's plant resources 10 Dried fruits (grapes) 83 Features of 2020 12 Ginger 84 Growing threats of plant health 13 Grains 86 Plant biosecurity highlights in 2020 14 Hazelnuts 88 Honey bees 90 CHAPTER 1: AUSTRALIA'S PLANT BIOSECURITY SYSTEM 17 Lychees 92 Australia's plant biosecurity system 18 Macadamias 93 Plant biosecurity framework and legislation 20 Mangoes 94 The Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity 20 Melons 96 The National Plant Biosecurity Strategy 20 Olives 97 National committees 21 Onions 98 Biosecurity legislation 25 Passionfruit 99 Biosecurity emergency response agreements 25 Pineapples 100 Plant biosecurity statutory levies 25 Pistachios 101 Government roles 26 Plantation forests 102 The Australian Government 26 Processing tomatoes 104 State and territory governments 28 Production nurseries 106 Non-government roles 34 Rice 108 Plant Health Australia 34 Rubus 109 Peak plant industry bodies 36 Stone fruit 110 Private sector 36 Strawberries 111 Research funders and providers 37 Sugarcane 112 The community 37 Sweetpotatoes 114 Table grapes 115 CHAPTER 2: PROTECTING AUSTRALIA'S PLANT RESOURCES 39 Tea tree 116 Protecting Australia's plant resources 40 Truffles 117 National priority pests 41 Vegetables (including potatoes) 118 National Priority Plant Pests 41 Walnuts 121 National action plans 43 Wine grapes 123 National Priority List of Exotic Environmental Pests, Weeds and Diseases 43 CHAPTER 4: BIOSECURITY SUPPORTING MARKET Plant industry biosecurity preparedness 45 Biosecurity planning for plant industries 45 ACCESS AND TRADE 125 Contingency planning 56 Environmental biosecurity preparedness 62 Biosecurity supporting market access and trade 126 National Plant Biosecurity Preparedness Strategy 63 Pre-border biosecurity 127 Obligations under international trade agreements Pre-border 127 CHAPTER 3: PLANT INDUSTRY PROFILES 65 activities to mitigate the risks from imports Regulating imports to 129 Almonds 68 manage risk 130 Apples and pears 70 Other international activities 134 Avocados 72 Ensuring exports meet required standards 135 Bananas 74 Border biosecurity 142 Blueberries 76 Collaborations to reduce border biosecurity risks Government 143 Canned fruits 77 screening and inspection 144 Cherries 78 National border surveillance program 145 Chestnuts 79 Protecting our northern coastline 146 Post-entry plant quarantine 147 CHAPTER 5: PLANT PEST SURVEILLANCE AND DIAGNOSTICS 149 On-farm biosecurity 205 Biosecurity extension and engagement programs 205 Plant pest surveillance and diagnostics 150 Biosecurity manuals for producers 208 Plant pest surveillance 151 Managing pests on farm 209 Oversight of plant pest surveillance 151 Australia’s weed biosecurity system 210 Government surveillance programs 153 National approach to addressing weed issues 211 Industry surveillance strategies and programs 154 Preventing the entry of new weeds into Australia 211 General surveillance programs 156 Weed surveillance 212 Plant pest surveillance programs in 2020 158 Eradication and containment of weeds 212 Diagnostics – identifying plant pests and diseases 166 Managing established weeds 213 Oversight of national plant biosecurity diagnostics 166 National Diagnostic Protocols 168 CHAPTER 8: PLANT BIOSECURITY RD&E 215 Diagnostic services in Australia 172 Plant biosecurity research, development and extension 216 National reference collections 178 National Plant Biosecurity RD&E Strategy 217 Identification of fruit flies 179 Australian Government agencies and statutory authorities 217 Online systems supporting plant biosecurity 180 Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 217 Australian Research Council 218 CHAPTER 6: MANAGING PLANT BIOSECURITY EMERGENCIES 183 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 219 Managing plant biosecurity emergencies 184 Plant Innovation Centre 219 National plant biosecurity response arrangements 185 Research and development corporations 220 Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed 185 Agrifutures Australia 221 PLANTPLAN 186 Cotton Research and Development Corporation 221 National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement 186 Forest and Wood Products Australia 221 Preparing for plant biosecurity incidents 187 Grains Research and Development Corporation 222 Reporting a plant pest or disease 187 Hort Innovation 223 Biosecurity Incident Management System 187 Sugar Research Australia 223 National Biosecurity Response Team 187 Wine Australia 223 National communication arrangements 187 The Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative 223 Training in biosecurity emergency responses 188 State and territory governments 224 Notifications and responses in 2020 190 University and private research institutes 225 National response plans 190 Collaborative research arrangements 225 Other plant pest notifications 190 Centre for Crop and Disease Management 225 Centre for Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation 225 CHAPTER 7: CONTROLLING PLANT PESTS AND WEEDS 195 Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis 226 Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation 226 Controlling plant pests and weeds 196 Cooperative Research Centre for Honey Bee Products 226 Domestic quarantine 197 Plant biosecurity RD&E projects in 2020 228 Subcommittee on Domestic Quarantine and Market Access 197 Restrictions on interstate travellers carrying produce 197 APPENDICES 263 Restrictions on interstate movement of commercial consignments 198 Official control of quarantine plant pests to protect overseas trade 198 Organisation contact details 264 Australia’s regionalised pests 199 Glossary 266 Preventing the spread of fruit flies 199 Acronyms 268 Community involvement in domestic quarantine 204 INDEX 271 The biosecurity obligations of all Australians 204 The role of local government 204 Figures Tables Figure 1. Australia’s varied climatic zones 10 Table 1. Key strategies that form the basis of the NPBS (2010–20) 21 Figure 2. Gross value of plant and animal production industries in Australia, Table 2. Plant, honey bee and environmental biosecurity legislation across 1972–2020 11 Australia 24 Figure 3. 2020 annual mean temperatures compared to historical temperature Table 3. Plant Health Australia members 34 observations 12 Table 4. Australia’s National Priority Plant Pests 41 Figure 4. 2020 annual rainfall compared to historical rainfall observations 12 Table 5. The top 10 National Priority Plant Pests 42 Figure 5. Key components of Australia’s plant biosecurity system 19 Table 6. Current biosecurity plans covering Australia's plant industries 45 Figure 6. National government biosecurity committees and working groups Table 7. High Priority Pest threats 46 with plant focus 22 Table 8. Contingency plans 57 Figure 7. Comparative value of Australia’s plant production industries, based on Table 9–47. Industry specific High Priority Pest lists 68 gross value of production, 2017–20 67 Table 48. Australian Government import policy advice, final and in progress 131 Figure 8–87. Industry production data 69 Table 49. Australia's export legislation, administered by the Figure 88. Entity responsibility for biosecurity risks, first points of entry (ports) 143 Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment 136 Figure 89. Biosecurity risk pathways regulated by NAQS 146 Table 50. Market access achievements for pollinator and plant product exports Figure 90. National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance System framework 152 from Australia since 2000 138 Figure 91. Surveillance programs by target