Northern Australia can be considered one of the frontlines of biosecurity risk. There have been numerous pest/disease detections over the last ten years in northern Australia, many of which have been significant in terms of costs (financial/social) to industry, the environment, and the public (through extended/costly responses). The north is increasingly becoming a focal point for governments and industries nationally given our close proximity to countries that pose significant risk of pests and diseases entering.

While not necessarily unique to the north, one of the biggest challenges we face in biosecurity is attracting and retaining staff. In many instances, people will come for a few years and then leave, resulting in a loss of knowledge and capacity.

The Northern Australian People Capacity and Response Network (NAPCaRN) aims to build leadership and biosecurity capacity across northern Australia. There is a specific focus on (a) attracting and retaining staff, and (b) growing local talent. Some of the components of NAPCaRN are:

· offering online, monthly leadership events that are open to stakeholders across all areas;

· providing leadership training to stakeholders to support growth and progression;

· creating and supporting a biosecurity network across northern Australia to support collaboration and partnerships across government, industry and indigenous stakeholders;

· increasing access to incident response training to increase our responsiveness to plant, animal or aquatic pests and diseases;

· a formal mentoring program;

· developing a pathway for First Nations students to enter biosecurity through VET training, traineeships and internships;

· investing in a board intern program to enhance governance outcomes and to increase diversity in decision making;

· creating First Nations internships to build knowledge, awareness and expertise across northern Australia;

· engaging with indigenous communities to encourage greater participation and involvement

· funding graduate positions to support operational activities and encourage people to come to the north.