What was it all about?

This project strengthened biosecurity preparedness for Australia’s production nursery industry by delivering an updated, industry‑endorsed Biosecurity Plan, available here. The plan provides a clear, current picture of the exotic pests and diseases that pose the greatest risk to nursery production and trade, and sets priorities for action. It gives growers and industry a stronger foundation to prevent, prepare for and respond to future biosecurity threats.

The project reviewed and updated the existing nursery biosecurity plan to reflect today’s operating environment. It identified and assessed 293 exotic pests and diseases that could affect nursery production and prioritised 24 as High Priority Pests based on their risk of entry, spread and potential economic impact. The project also assessed existing preparedness resources and developed a Biosecurity Implementation Plan to guide future activities. Practical extension outputs included two disinfection guides covering glasshouses, polytunnels, seeders and transplanters, providing clear guidance to reduce the risk of disease spread in nurseries.

The project addressed the challenge of increasing biosecurity risk in a diverse, year‑round industry supplying plants to multiple horticultural sectors. Changing pest threats, expanding trade pathways and evolving production systems meant the previous plan was no longer sufficient to support informed decision‑making.

These efforts will help protect grower businesses by improving awareness of key biosecurity risks and clarifying priorities for surveillance, preparedness and response. The plan will guide future investment, strengthen collaboration with government, and support a more resilient and sustainable nursery industry.

ACT NOW

Download the updated Biosecurity Plan for the Australian Production Nursery Industry here.

Access other related resources on the Australian Plant Production Standard website here.