Biosecurity is a critical part of Australia’s efforts to prevent, respond to, and recover from pests and diseases that threaten the economy and environment. The protection though of our valued flora is not guaranteed, and outbreaks could have devastating consequences for the agricultural and forestry industries whilst compromising our native environments. A robust, effective, and responsive plant biosecurity system is critical to protect our natural and productive ecosystems.

However, analyses of the sector have shown that employing a “business as usual” approach for our future biosecurity requirements will be ineffective in the long-term [1]. Modelling has demonstrated that even a tripling in investment in the sector is not enough to prevent increased biosecurity threats over the short-to-medium term. Consequently, plant biosecurity requires a transformational change to keep ahead of the increased risks and ensure its effectiveness in protecting Australia’s multibillion-dollar agriculture, horticulture, forestry, environmental industries, tourism, and quality of life.

The ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity aims to deliver a solution for Australia’s increasing biosecurity risk through generational change in its workforce coupled with breakthrough technologies. It will launch an innovative training program for future leaders who will build relationships with end users and engage meaningfully with communities for effective implementation strategies. It will deliver a cohort of highly skilled graduates that will innovate novel diagnostic technologies, enable data-driven decision platforms and address barriers to biosecurity adoption. In this presentation I will discuss the training program and research embedded within the Training Centre and outline the exciting opportunities now available for students and postdocs.

[1] Craik, W., D. Palmer, and R. Sheldrake, Priorities for Australia’s biosecurity system: An independent review of the capacity of the national biosecurity system and its underpinning Intergovernmental Agreement. 2017, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources: Canberra, Australia