Australian Biosecurity Awards

(Duration 1 min 56 secs)

16 October 2023

Introduction

This is the transcript of the 2023 Australian Biosecurity Awards promotional video.

Transcript

Image on screen: Golden Labrador dog exits a truck with her handler. They are at a mine site.

Text on screen: Australian Biosecurity Awards.

Image on screen: Three people gardening.

Text on screen: Our strong biosecurity system reflects the shared responsibility of government, industries and our communities.

Image on screen: Camera panning over Australian landscapes, including hills, fields, a distant lake and mountains covered in shrubs.

Text on screen: Across the country, Australians are doing their part to protect the nation from exotic pests and diseases.

Image on screen: A man washes the tyres of a white car.

Text on screen: From primary producers implementing biosecurity practices.

Brigid Price [speaking]: We’re strong advocates for the role that farmers play in terms of preventing animal suffering and significant economic loss caused by biosecurity incursions.

Image on screen: A group of people meeting in a room and sitting at desks, followed by a scene showing a tractor driving through bushland.

Text on screen: To community groups, protecting Australia from biosecurity threats.

Gerald Leach [speaking]: It is really important to empower the community so that the people who have to provide the solution are actually involved in the decision making. They then have ownership not only of the problem but of the outcome as well.

Image on screen: A group of people working in a field in the Australian bush. It is followed by a scene showing a man explaining something to a group of people standing around him in the field.

Image on screen: Scenes show a man working with surveillance equipment in the Australian bush, an exotic ant species crawling on the ground, and a cane toad.

Text on screen: And those working on the front line to manage outbreaks and exotic pests and diseases.

Bob Makinson [speaking]: Myrtle rust is one of many plant diseases that pose a direct biodiversity threat to Australia. We cannot let these diseases and pests affect our national heritage. Biodiversity is everybody's business.

Image on screen: 2022 Education winner Emerita Professor Eileen Scott standing in a vineyard, explaining biosecurity to several students who are gathered around.

Text on screen: They are researchers, innovators, educators and everyday Australians.

Image on screen: South Coast Natural Resource Management members standing by a river in front of a banner showing the group’s name.

Text on screen: And they deserve to be recognised.

Dr Kylie Hewson [speaking]: It’s humbling to have my efforts recognised with this award, and this recognition will continue to motivate me to keep finding ways for all of us to work together for a stronger biosecurity system.

Image on screen: A man walks on his property in the sunset.

Text on screen: The Australian Biosecurity Awards recognise and celebrate those who have shown a commitment to supporting and promoting Australia’s biosecurity and the systems that underpin it.

Dr Darryl Hardie [speaking]: Good biosecurity can only be achieved if it is accepted by all Australians as a shared responsibility.

Text on screen: Visit agriculture.gov.au/ABA for more information and to register for updates.

Text on screen: Thank you to the winners featured in this video.

The Dr David Banks Biosecurity Lifetime Achievement Award recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution beyond their normal responsibilities for Australian biosecurity over a sustained period of time.

Criteria:

• 10 or more years of sustained contribution to Australian biosecurity.
• Demonstrates a significant contribution to Australian biosecurity in the areas of research, industry achievement, professional leadership or service.

See the 2022 winner for this category.

The Dr Kim Ritman Award for Science and Innovation recognises outstanding ambassadors for science and innovation.

Criteria:

• An individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the maintenance of our plant health status, including preparedness and response to plant health issues such as incursions of emergency plant pests.
• Designs or leads the development of new technology or approaches to assist in the detection and/or management of biosecurity risks.
• Develops and/or implements an innovation that has strengthened our biosecurity systems for managing the risk that exotic plant pests and diseases pose to Australia.
• Develops, promotes and leads efforts to strengthen scientific capacity and increase capability across the biosecurity system, both domestically and internationally.

See the 2022 winner for this category.

Australian primary producers, including individuals and organisations can be nominated. This comprises all forms of Australian farming, including large commercial operations, new and emerging niche industries, operators and hobby-level farmers.

Criteria:

• Demonstrates a sound understanding of the 6 essentials of farm biosecurity:
  1. Farm inputs
  2. People, vehicles and equipment
  3. Production practices
  4. Feral animals and weeds
  5. Farm outputs
  6. Train, plan and record.
• Applies biosecurity practices relevant to their property/properties.
• Carries out biosecurity activities as best-practice preventative measures, rather than in response to specific threats.
• Shows evidence of their biosecurity activities. For example, through planning, records, procedures.
• Advocates for proactive on-farm biosecurity practices among their peers.

See the 2022 winner for this category.

We present this award jointly with Animal Health Australia and Plant Health Australia.

The Industry award recognises individuals, groups or organisations that have demonstrated a significant contribution to maintaining Australia’s biosecurity integrity.

Criteria:

• Designs, implements and/or leads biosecurity reform initiatives within their organisation and/or industry sector to support Australia’s biosecurity integrity.
• Demonstrates significant biosecurity integrity and raises biosecurity awareness within their operations and/or industry sector.
• Collaboratively works with the department to manage biosecurity risk.
• Identifies, reports and/or leads the management of a disease outbreak or pest incursion.
• Reports suspicious activities that may be of biosecurity concern.
• Makes an outstanding contribution to protecting or maintaining animal or plant health.
• Raises awareness of Australia’s biosecurity requirements offshore.

See the 2022 winner for this category.

The Government award recognises individuals, groups or organisations that have demonstrated a significant contribution to maintaining Australia’s biosecurity integrity.

Criteria:

• Designs, implements and/or leads biosecurity reform initiatives within their organisation and/or sector to support Australia’s biosecurity integrity.
• Demonstrates significant biosecurity integrity and raises biosecurity awareness within their operations and/or sector.
• Collaboratively works with the department to manage biosecurity risk.
• Identifies, reports and/or leads the management of a disease outbreak or pest incursion.
• Reports suspicious activities that may be of biosecurity concern.
• Makes an outstanding contribution to protecting or maintaining animal or plant health.
• Raises awareness of Australia’s biosecurity requirements offshore.

See the 2022 winner for this category.

The Environmental Biosecurity award recognises individuals, groups or organisations that make a significant contribution to protecting our environment from biosecurity risks.

Criteria:

• Makes an exceptional contribution to reducing the risks posed to the natural environment and social amenity by new and emerging non-native pests, weeds and diseases including by helping prevent them from entering, emerging, establishing or spreading in Australia.
• Raises awareness and understanding of environmental biosecurity in their region/community or industry sector/state that has changed attitudes and behaviours in ways that reduce biosecurity risks to Australia’s environment. For example, promoted environmental biosecurity in schools/community groups; introduced environment focused work practices in an organisation or industry sector; designed/implemented a government program to improve environmental biosecurity practices in their region/state.
• Develops or applies new knowledge, techniques or tools to improve environmental biosecurity outcomes through analysis, research, extension or innovation.
• Promotes Indigenous participation in activities to improve environmental biosecurity outcomes.
• Promotes networks and collaboration to more effectively respond to new and emerging environmental pests, weeds and diseases.
• Plays a significant role in preparing for and responding to environmental pest, weed or disease incursions.

The Community award recognises individuals, groups or organisations that make a significant contribution to delivering biosecurity outcomes in the community.

Criteria:

• Designs, implements or leads biosecurity reform initiatives within their organisation and/or community to support Australia’s biosecurity integrity.
• Demonstrates significant biosecurity integrity and raises biosecurity awareness within their operations or community.
• Identifies, reports or leads the management of a disease outbreak or pest incursion.
• Reports suspicious activities that may be of biosecurity concern.
• Makes an outstanding contribution to protecting or maintaining animal or plant health.
• Raises awareness of Australia’s biosecurity requirements offshore.

The Education award recognises individuals, groups or organisations that make a significant contribution to biosecurity education. 

Criteria:

• Identifies as a school, curriculum or related initiative, including higher education facilities with biosecurity courses, curriculum or projects to raise community awareness.
• Develops biosecurity education approaches during the school year.
• Includes biosecurity related activities in their curriculum.
• Establishes communication links with state or territory governments on biosecurity matters.
• Demonstrates commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in the biosecurity space.