Biosecurity 101 for botanic gardens

David Gale, Plant Health Australia

What is biosecurity?

Plant biosecurity refers to the actions that individuals, industries, governments and others take to keep exotic plant pests and diseases from entering, and established pests from moving around, Australia. The goal of plant biosecurity is to keep plants, including those in botanic gardens, healthy and productive.

Biosecurity has played a critical role in reducing risk and ensuring our nation remains free from some of the world’s most damaging plant pests and diseases. This is vital as exotic plant pests can damage our natural environment, destroy our food production and agriculture industries, and in some cases even change our way of life.

David Gale

Australia’s biosecurity system

Australia’s biosecurity system relies on a collaborative effort and coordination of activities between federal and state governments, industry and the broader community. The key components of our biosecurity system are surveillance, monitoring and control activities offshore, at the border and onshore to protect our country from exotic plant pests and diseases.

While Australia has a world-class biosecurity system, if international trade and people movement occur, there will always be the risk that new plant pests will enter the country. Pests can also spread to Australia through natural pathways, such as wind and water currents.

Plant Health Australia (PHA) is the national coordinator of the government–industry partnership for plant biosecurity in Australia responsible for facilitating partnerships, driving action to improve policy, practice and performance of the plant biosecurity system.

The role of botanic gardens in protecting plant health

The living plant collections found within botanic gardens and arboreta are a unique resource that can provide vital information regarding plant health. Australia has over 150 botanic gardens and arboreta that are spread all around the country. These botanic gardens and arboreta hold a range of native flora, exotic species from all over the world and relatives of commercial crop species.

Due to the way in which the living collections in botanic gardens are organised and the movement of staff and visitors, botanic gardens and arboreta are especially vulnerable to the impact of invasive plant pests and diseases. Botanic gardens and arboreta are visited by millions of people each year creating a risk of new pests or diseases entering on clothing or footwear.

Botanic gardens will often have biosecurity policies and procedures to ensure that activities within the gardens will not affect the plant collections or the wider environment. Careful planning, preparation and management of plant material, good record keeping and robust procedures can help safeguard biodiversity and avoid serious environmental and economic impact.

This risk, in combination with the diverse range of plants in botanic gardens, provides a unique tool in detecting and responding to plant pests.

What is a plant pest?

In general, a plant pest is any species, strain or biotype of invertebrate pest or pathogen which harms plants, plant products or bees, or impacts social amenities or the environment.

Plant pests may be exotic (not currently in Australia) or established (present in Australia).

Plant pests are grouped in a variety of ways to work out which need to be targeted. For example:

• High Priority Pests are pests identified as posing the greatest risk to a plant industry. Their overall risk is assessed based on the pest’s risk of entering, establishing and spreading in Australia as well as the potential economic impact. More information about high priority pests of specific industries is available on the PHA website (planthealthaustralia.com.au).

• National Priority Plant Pests are pests that have been identified by the chief plant health managers of each state and territory, together with the Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer, as priority pests that are either exotic to Australia, under eradication, or have limited distribution within Australia. Currently, Australia’s number one National Priority Plant Pest is Xylella fastidiosa, an invasive bacterial pathogen.

Surveillance opportunities in botanic gardens

Staff and volunteers that work in the gardens are knowledgeable and passionate people, who with training and awareness of current threats can become additional ‘eyes and ears’ for the first detection of plant pests and diseases. Those who work within botanical gardens generally

care about safeguarding not only the plants they work with, but plant species in the widerenvironment. Staff and volunteers work with plants in the collections daily and can recognise,monitor and record changes in plant health quickly and accurately.

What should you do if you think you have found a new plant pest?

If you find an unusual plant pest or disease, call the national Exotic Plant Pest hotline (1800 084881).

When you call the hotline, you can select the state or territory you are in. You will be connectedto an experienced person in the relevant authority for that jurisdiction.

During your call they may ask you:

• What did you see? (As well as describing what yousaw it is helpful if you have a photo you can sendthrough.)

• When did you first notice it?

• Where did you find it and what was it on?

• How many were there or how infected was the plant?

• How widely spread is it?

Every report to the hotline will be taken seriously, checked out and treated confidentially.

More information about other ways to report in each state and the operating hours for thehotline are available on the PHA website.

Three simple things you can do to reduce your risk

1. Clean your shoes

Dirty shoes are a biosecurity risk as they can carry and spread pests and diseases.

A simple way to manage this risk is to make sure that you thoroughly wash and disinfect footwear when moving between different plant growing areas. This includes traveling between gardens and venturing in and out of wilderness areas.

Use these three steps to prevent carrying plant pests and diseases on your shoes:

• Check for any source of contamination like soil, mud, water or plant material.

• Clean footwear with a brush to remove debris, and then wash with water to remove all visible plant material and soil.

• Disinfect footwear using a footbath or spray bottle containing a disinfecting solution.

Further information on shoe cleaning can be found on the Farm Biosecurity website (farmbiosecurity. com.au) including an article about making your own footbath. Although originally intended for producers, it is a great resource for understanding how to implement this practice.

2. Check restrictions on plant and plant product imports

Think twice before bringing plants or plant products into Australia. Plant products include any goods that contain ingredients or components of plant origin including wooden or bamboo articles, cut flowers and foliage, horticultural produce and other plant-derived food, pet food and stock feed.

Before importing, check for any restrictions that may apply to avoid goods being confiscated, a costly fine or even prosecution. Australia’s Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) outlines all import conditions for bringing goods into Australia. If you are intending to import plants or plant products, you should search BICON to find out:

• whether the goods you wish to import are permitted

• which country or countries the goods are permitted to be imported from

• whether an import permit is required

• what documentation, treatment, inspection and other requirements there are for the goods.

If you are receiving goods from overseas remember to check parcels for any hitchhiking pests such as brown marmorated stink bug.

If you receive a package that has live bugs inside you need to take immediate action. Re‐seal the box or package to prevent bugs escaping. If bugs have already escaped, try to catch them and put them in a sealed container. Then call the national Exotic Plant Pest hotline (1800 084 881).

3. Know state and territory movement restrictions

There is also a risk of spreading pest and disease into pest-free areas within Australia.

Australia has rules and regulations about the movement of goods between states, or within states. There are also biosecurity or quarantine zones within each state and territory to limit the spread of pests that are localised to that area. It’s always good to check any restrictions that might apply to your trip.

You can check restrictions by:

• downloading a copy of Australian Interstate Quarantine: A traveller’s guide

• using the map search on the Australian Interstate Quarantine website (interstatequarantine.org.au)

• reading about the biosecurity or quarantine zones within states and territories

• ringing 1800 084 881 during business hours.

Bundaberg Botanic Gardens

The Bundaberg Botanic Gardens welcomes you! To experience nature no matter your view. From the Figtree chapel to the Bunya pine, You will find something quite ordinary or exquisitely sublime. If bromeliads float your boat, Giant Red, the Heliconia, will seal your vote. Jade vine, rare fruit orchard, the Ylang Ylang tree, Wow! So much to see. Isis tamarind, Fraser Island vine, Bismarck palms; Stroll through the woodland to appreciate its sclerophyll charms. Banksia, bamboo, birds nest fern, So many, many plant species to discern. Succulent, fern, palm and pine, Tree, shrub, fruit and vine. The Bundaberg Botanic Gardens has it all, Plan a visit soon, you’ll have a ball!

Written by: Nicola, a patient mother

Fraser Island Vine.

David Gale, Plant Health Australia