:: What is SPHDS?

Background

Australia’s unique trade status occurs partly as a result of protecting the country’s agricultural industries from exotic plant pests and diseases through an effective plant biosecurity system. Facilitating activities that will further improve Australia’s plant biosecurity is a primary role of the Plant Health Committee (PHC). An essential component in the enhancement of this system is improvements in the capacity and capability of plant pest diagnostics. To achieve this, a subcommittee under PHC was formed – the Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostic Standards (SPHDS).

SPHDS

SPHDS aims to sustain and improve the quality and reliability of plant pest diagnostics for priority plant pests. It runs a number of projects in order to achieve this aim, including:

• the development of plant pest diagnostic protocols
• the development of a National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Strategy
• the development of a national plant pest diagnostic network
• the development of diagnostic tools and material
• the training of diagnosticians
• the progression of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing

SPHDS is comprised of a Chair, Executive Officer, representatives from state and territory governments, the federal government, Plant Health Australia, universities, CSIRO, museums and the CRC for National Plant Biosecurity (CRCNPB). The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry also has observer status on SPHDS.

The current Chair of SPHDS is Jane Moran from the Department of Primary Industries in Victoria. Jane took over as Chair in June 2009. As the Chair, Jane is the contact point between SPHDS and PHA. She is Deputy Research Director for Bioprotection, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, with responsibilities across plant and animal health and is a program leader with the CRCNPB. Jane is committed to the development of a sustainable integrated national diagnostic network.