Biosecurity

Australia’s biosecurity detector dog unit has evolved over many years, with the dogs now being trained to detect specific cargo pests and taking part in trials to screen passengers for COVID-19.

Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility and Territorians are being encouraged to join the conversation with the community consultation now open on the Northern Territory’s livestock biosecurity laws.

The National Plant Biosecurity Status Report (NPBSR) is the latest comprehensive plant biosecurity resource detailing Australia’s plant biosecurity system and the pre-border, border and post-border activities undertaken in the last year.

In a cultural first for Australia, a sapling from a sacred tree revered by the world’s Buddhist community has been imported from Sri Lanka in what can only be described as a great biosecurity success story.

Local Land Services is advising landholders  August is the perfect time to get in and clean up on-farm ahead of an expected  busy Spring. Cleaning up will help reduce the potential impact of pests, by reducing their possible breeding and nesting locations, as well as reduce the risks for livestock to chemical residues from items such as old batteries.  

An extra-terrestrial parcel of Australian Golden wattle seeds has returned safely to earth and is undergoing biosecurity screening following its journey into space.  

To date 87 rodents have been removed. All rodent detections and removals have been within the northern settlement area. A small number of rats that continue to be detected are being actively monitored and baited ... Eleven prospective biosecurity officers undertook training on 2 & 3 July with renowned dog trainers Steve Austin and Miriam Richie.

Harrisia Cactus, an invasive cactus species, has been confirmed by the Queensland Herbarium as being present in the Glan Devon district of Nanango. Council’s Pest Management contractors made the discovery during routine weed surveillance on a property recently.

On World Zoonoses Day, Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Mark Schipp has highlighted how the risk of zoonoses, diseases which can be transmitted to humans from animals, can be reduced through practising good animal biosecurity and hygiene control procedures. The bacterial disease leptospirosis is an example of a zoonotic disease of worldwide importance. The disease has been reported in over 150 mammalian species around the world, including wildlife, rodents, cattle, pigs, horses, dogs, and people.

David Waterhouse. Lord Howe Island is a special place and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage property in 1982 in recognition of the global significance of the Island’s beauty and biodiversity. The Island’s isolation and its varied landscape are home to many unique and endemic species. Although Islands only make up a small proportion of available landmass, 61% of recorded species extinctions since the 16th Century have occurred on Islands. The pressure of invasive species has already been linked to the extinction of at least 5 bird species, two plant species, and 13 recorded (although likely much higher) invertebrate species from Lord Howe Island.