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Department of Agriculture

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  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Biosecurity
  4. Biosecurity in Australia
  5. Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS)
  6. NAQS target pests, diseases and weeds

Sidebar first - Biosecurity

  • Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS)
    • Co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
    • Aircraft arriving on the Australian mainland from Torres Strait
    • NAQS target pests, diseases and weeds
    • Moving goods to, from and within Torres Strait
    • Significant events in the history of NAQs
      • Celebrating 30 years of co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
      • Commemorating 25 years of NAQS
    • Shipping and yachting in the Torres Strait
    • Map of NAQS zones

NAQS target pests, diseases and weeds

​​The Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) list of target pests, diseases and weeds includes, but is not limited to:

Plant Pests

  • Exotic fruit flies
  • Vegetable leafminer
  • Mango pulp weevil
  • Sugarcane stem-borers
  • Asian citrus psyllid
  • Citrus fruit-borers

Weeds

  • Sour grass
  • Mile-a-minute weed
  • Limnocharis
  • Siam weed
  • Spiked pepper

Plant Diseases

  • Citrus canker
  • Huanglongbing
  • Fusarium wilt
  • Lethal diseases of coconut
  • Black sigatoka

Animal Pests

  • Old-world screw-worm fly

Animal Diseases

  • Rabies
  • Classical swine fever
  • Foot and mouth disease
  • Surra
  • Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome
  • Nipah virus
  • Newcastle disease
  • Avian influenza or bird flu

The NAQS target list

The NAQS surveillance program targets insect pests, diseases and weeds that are:

  • considered serious threats to Australia’s agricultural productivity, export markets or the environment; and
  • have potential to enter Australia from Timor Leste, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea or other locations via northern Australia by non-conventional pathways (for example, wind-borne or unregulated human-assisted pathways).

Target species are reviewed regularly to ensure NAQS surveillance is risk-based and aligned to national animal and plant health priorities.

How are target species decided?

Species included on the NAQS target list usually meet the following criteria:

1. Probability of entry

There is a reasonable probability of entry of a pest, disease or weed into northern Australia. These include:

  • whether the organism is known to be present in locations near to northern Australia
  • the method of spread and number of viable arrival pathways to the risk zone (natural or non-conventional transmission or dispersion must be possible)
  • known history of international spread and biosecurity concern.

2. Probability of establishment

There is a significant probability of establishment if a pest or disease enters northern Australia. These include:

  • the availability of suitable hosts/habitat
  • the ecology of the pest, disease or weed
  • the likelihood of survival
  • cultural practices and control measures likely to impact establishment.

3. Probability of spread after establishment

There should be consider​able likelihood of spread after establishment in and beyond northern Australia. This is determined after considering the following :

  • suit​ability of the overall environment for natural spread and hosts
  • presence of natural barriers to dispersion
  • potential for movement outside of the NAQS surveillance zone via trade, people or natural transmission
  • potential vectors of the pest in northern Australia
  • potential predators or bio-control species of the particular pest.

4. Potential significant adverse impact

The pest, disease or weed must have the potential to cause a significant impact to:

  • agriculture
  • the environment, or
  • the Australian public.

Details regarding a comprehensive list of NAQS target species may be obtained by contacting NAQS.

5. Publications

Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy: Weeds Target List. 3rd edition. ABARES - Brown, L., Johnson H. and Raphael, B. (2008).​

General enquiries

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Last updated: 16 February 2023

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.