Emergency Plant Pest reporting and what happens next
Summary
Emergency Plant Pests
A plant pest is a disease-causing organism or an invertebrate which threatens agricultural production, forestry or native and amenity plants.
A plant pest is considered an Emergency Plant Pest (EPP), also known as an exotic plant pest, when it is either:
- a known pest overseas but not previously occurring in Australia;
- a variant form of a pest already in Australia;
- an entirely new or unknown pest of uncertain origin; or
- a pest occurring in Australia that is being officially controlled to minimise spread and to manage impacts on market access
The importance of reporting suspect Emergency Plant Pests
If an EPP was to become established in Australia it could have severe impacts on agricultural production, native flora and trade access. Early detection and reporting is key to successfully eradicating an EPP. The earlier an EPP is discovered and reported, the less chance it has to establish and spread.
The simplest way of detecting EPPs is to know what is 'normal' and, by contrast, what is 'unusual'. Get to know the pests and diseases in your area and note if anything changes unexpectedly. Monitor crops and pastures, keep records and educate staff on common pests so that if anything new or unusual shows up it can be brought to attention.
People working in agricultural sectors are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the high priority pests relevant to their industries, make them known to staff, and include them in surveillance activities to improve chances of early detection. High priority pests for your industry can be found on the Plant Health Australia website.
Reporting anything unusual
Suspect EPPs can be reported through the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline 1800 084 881.
Calling this number will divert you to the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). All calls are taken seriously and confidentially.
Report can also be made by emailing: biosecurity@dpi.nsw.gov.au. This is useful if you have photos or other helpful information.
If reporting by phone or email please provide:
- Name, contact number and location
- The affected plant and a description of the damage you have observed
- Whether there is a pest present (e.g. insect) that may be causing the damage
- Description of pest, or clear photos if reporting via email.
What happens when you report a suspect Emergency Plant Pest?
Someone from NSW DPIRD will get in touch to follow up your report. You may be asked to provide a photo or sample for identification. If initial investigations indicate a suspect EPP is present we will work with you to complete further investigations and manage the impact and risk of spread.
If an EPP is confirmed, affected industries, state and national governments will be notified and an official 'response' may occur. Grower involvement is critical to an effective EPP response and NSW DPIRD will work with affected industries through all stages of any response. Strict rules for confidentiality are in place to protect individual growers.
Growers are encouraged to report a suspect EPP as the potential short-term disruption of a response is preferable to the long-term management costs if the pest became established.
Further reading
- NSW DPI PrimeFact 1314 Protect your property from plant biosecurity threats
- NSW DPI PrimeFact 1315 Protecting New South Wales from exotic plant pests
