The National Plant Biosecurity Status Report 2018 © Plant Health Australia 2019 Disclaimer: This publication is published by Plant Health Australia for information purposes only. Information in the document is drawn from a variety of sources outside Plant Health This work is copyright. Apart from any use as Australia. Although reasonable care was taken in its preparation, Plant Health Australia does permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part not warrant the accuracy, reliability, completeness or currency of the information, or its may be reproduced by any process without prior usefulness in achieving any purpose. permission from Plant Health Australia. Given that there are continuous changes in trade patterns, pest distributions, control measures Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights and agricultural practices, this report can only provide a snapshot in time. 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In referencing this document, the preferred citation is: National Plant Biosecurity Status Report (2018). Plant Health Australia, Canberra, ACT. Cover image: Close up of banksia flower in Killcare, NSW The National Plant Biosecurity Status Report 2018 Contents Foreword 6 Dried fruits (grapes) 84 Forestry 86 INTRODUCTION 9 Ginger 88 The importance of plant biosecurity 10 Grains 90 Growing threats to plant health 11 Hazelnuts 92 Plant biosecurity highlights in 2018 12 Honey bees 94 Lychees 96 CHAPTER 1: AUSTRALIA'S PLANT BIOSECURITY SYSTEM 15 Macadamias 97 Plant biosecurity framework and legislation 18 Mangoes 98 National committees 18 Melons 99 The revised intergovernmental agreement on biosecurity 20 Olives 100 The national plant biosecurity strategy 20 Onions 101 Biosecurity legislation 21 Passionfruit 102 Government roles 22 Pineapples 103 The Australian Government 22 Pistachios 104 State and territory governments 26 Processing tomatoes 105 Non-government roles 32 Production nurseries 106 Plant Health Australia 32 Rice 108 Peak plant industry bodies 34 Rubus 109 Private sector 34 Stone fruit 110 Research funders and providers 35 Strawberries 111 Community 35 Sugarcane 112 Sweetpotatoes 114 CHAPTER 2: PROTECTING AUSTRALIA'S PLANT RESOURCES 37 Table grapes 115 Priority pests and diseases 40 Tea tree 116 National Priority Plant Pests 40 Truffles 117 Environmental biosecurity 42 Vegetables (including potatoes) 118 Plant industry biosecurity preparedness 44 Walnuts 122 Biosecurity planning 44 Wine grapes 123 Contingency planning 54 CHAPTER 4: PRE-BORDER AND BORDER BIOSECURITY 125 Biosecurity manuals for producers 61 Pre-border biosecurity 128 CHAPTER 3: PLANT INDUSTRY PROFILES 63 Obligations under international trade agreements 128 Almonds 66 Pre-border activities to mitigate the risks of imports 129 Apples and pears 68 Regulating imports to manage risk 130 Avocados 70 Other international activities 134 Bananas 72 Ensuring Australian exports meet required standards 134 Blueberries 74 Border biosecurity 142 Canned fruits 75 Collaborations to reduce border biosecurity risks 142 Cherries 76 Government screening, inspection and surveillance activities 144 Chestnuts 78 Protecting our northern coastline 146 Citrus 80 Post-entry plant quarantine 146 Cotton 82 CHAPTER 5: PLANT PEST SURVEILLANCE AND DIAGNOSTICS 149 The biosecurity obligations of all Australians 208 The role of local government 209 Plant pest surveillance 151 Controlling pests through area wide management 209 Oversight of plant pest surveillance 151 On-farm biosecurity 210 Targeted surveillance programs 152 The Farm Biosecurity Program 210 Industry surveillance strategies and programs 153 Biosecurity extension and engagement programs 211 General surveillance programs 156 Managing pests on-farm 214 Plant pest surveillance programs in 2018 158 Australia’s weed biosecurity system 216 Diagnostics – identifying plant pests and diseases 166 Coordination of weed management 216 Coordination of national plant biosecurity diagnostics 166 Preventing the entry of new weeds 216 National diagnostic protocols 168 Eradication and containment of newly established weeds 217 Diagnostic services in Australia 172 Managing established weeds 218 National reference collections 172 Handbook for the Identification of Fruit Flies 178 CHAPTER 8: PLANT BIOSECURITY RD&E 221 Online systems supporting plant biosecurity 179 National Plant Biosecurity RD&E Strategy 223 CHAPTER 6: POST-BORDER BIOSECURITY – ERADICATING NEW Australian Government agencies and statutory authorities 224 PLANT PESTS 181 Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 224 Australian Research Council 224 Reporting a plant pest or disease 182 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 224 Pest response arrangements 182 Plant Innovation Centre 224 The Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed 183 Research and development corporations 226 Definition of an Emergency Plant Pest 183 Agrifutures Australia 227 Decision making under the EPPRD 183 Cotton Research and Development Corporation 227 PLANTPLAN 184 Forest and Wood Products Australia 227 Categorisation of pests 184 Grains Research and Development Corporation 227 Transition to Management 185 Hort Innovation 228 Evaluating activities under the EPPRD 185 Sugar Research Australia 228 Managing biosecurity incidents 186 Wine Australia 228 Biosecurity Incident Management System 186 The Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative 229 The National Biosecurity Response Team 187 State and territory governments 230 Communication in an Emergency Plant Pest response 187 University and private research institutes 230 Responses to Emergency Plant Pest incursions 188 Collaborative research arrangements 230 Maintaining the capacity to respond to incursions 194 Centre for Crop and Disease Management 230 Oversight of biosecurity emergency preparedness training 194 Centre for Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation 230 Qualifications for biosecurity emergency responses 194 Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis 231 Practical training for biosecurity emergency responses 195 Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation 231 Online training in biosecurity 196 Cooperative Research Centres 232 CHAPTER 7: POST-BORDER BIOSECURITY – CONTROLLING CRC for Honey Bee Products 232 PESTS AND WEEDS 199 Plant Biosecurity CRC 232 Plant biosecurity RD&E projects in 2018 234 National and state oversight of domestic quarantine 201 Subcommittee on Domestic Quarantine and Market Access 201 APPENDICES 269 Restrictions for interstate travellers and transport of produce 201 Organisation contact details 270 Official control of quarantine plant pests to protect overseas trade 202 Glossary 272 Australia’s regionalised pests 202 Acronyms 274 Preventing the spread of fruit flies 207 Community involvement in domestic quarantine 208 INDEX 277 Figures Tables Figure 1. Australia’s varied climatic zones 10 Table 1. Plant biosecurity related legislation across Australia 21 Figure 2. Gross value of plant and animal production industries in Australia, Table 2. Plant Health Australia members 33 1972–2018 11 Table 3. Australia’s National Priority Plant Pests 40 Figure 3. Key components of Australia’s plant biosecurity system 17 Table 4. The top 10 National Priority Plant Pests 41 Figure 4. National government biosecurity committees and working groups Table 5. Current biosecurity plans covering Australia's plant industries 44 with plant focus 19 Table 6. High Priority Pest threats 45 Figure 5. Catchment scale land use in Australia 39 Table 7. Contingency plans 55 Figure 6. Comparative value of Australia’s plant production industries, Table 8. Biosecurity manuals for producers 61 based on gross value of production, 2016–17 64 Table 9–45. Industry specific High Priority Pest lists 66 Figure 7–86. Industry production data 67 Table 46. Australian Government import policy advice, final and in progress 131 Figure 87. Entity responsibility for biosecurity risks, first points of entry (ports) 143 Table 47. Australia's export legislation, administered by the Department Figure 88. Ports of Australia 145 of Agriculture and Water Resources 135 Figure 89. Biosecurity risk pathways regulated by NAQS 146 Table 48. Market access achievements for pollinator and plant product Figure 90. National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance System framework 151 exports from Australia since 2000 136 Figure 91. Surveillance programs by target host 158 Table 49. Australia's post-entry plant quarantine facilities 147 Figure 92. Surveillance programs by target pest type 158 Table 50. Australia's plant biosecurity surveillance programs 158 Figure 93. National Diagnostic Protocol endorsement process 168 Table 51. National Diagnostic Protocols 169 Figure 94.