Forest Watch Australia is a post-border surveillance program that has been established through a collaboration agreement between Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, the forest sector, community, and environment groups. Plant Health Australia (PHA) coordinates the program’s delivery, with activities implemented through government agencies. Funding for the program is from industry levies and in-kind support from jurisdictions.

The program aims to enhance Australia’s biosecurity system through coordinated, risk-based surveillance activities, enabling early detection of exotic forest pests and improving the likelihood of successful pest eradication or containment before significant impacts occur.

2022-23 represented the first surveillance season of the program and involved the deployment and monitoring of 163 traps and assessment of 2,768 trees for exotic forest pests at high-risk locations. Activities were delivered in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.

In 2023-24 the program was expanded to include Tasmania and saw an increased focus on the delivery of stakeholder engagement and training activities. When surveillance concludes in May 2024 the program will have deployed inspected approximately 156 traps, conducted >2,500 tree assessments and held 11 stakeholder training sessions. Data collected by the program is housed on AUSPestCheckTM.

As a new program, Forest Watch Australia continues to evolve, and the program is seeking opportunities to engage with additional stakeholders including Local Governments, Traditional Owners, and other stakeholders to build a wide surveillance network to protect Australia’s urban, natural and plantation forests.