Inside Australia’s key biosecurity roundtables


Australia’s biosecurity leaders came together last month for major roundtable discussions in Victoria and New South Wales to explore emerging threats, preparedness, community engagement and the future of invasive species management.

The meetings brought together government, industry, researchers and community representatives to share priorities and strengthen collaboration across the biosecurity system.

The CISS Chief Executive and senior team participated in both roundtables, contributing to discussions on invasive species management while identifying new opportunities for collaboration and future research, development and extension.

The Victorian and New South Wales roundtables each highlighted the importance of strong partnerships, evidence-based decision making and coordinated action in protecting Australia’s biosecurity.

CISS Chief Executive, Shauna Chadlowe, Director of RD&E, Dr John Virtue and Senior R&D Coordinator, Maree Wright attended Victoria’s Biosecurity Roundtable convened by Agriculture Victoria last month. The event provided an important opportunity to better understand Victoria’s biosecurity priorities, engage with state stakeholders involved in invasive species management, and explore how CISS’s national reach can support future RD&E initiatives.

Above: Participants, including several CISS staff, at Victoria’s Biosecurity Roundtable in May 2026.

 

The occasion was an important means to engage industry, community and government stakeholders in the implementation of Victoria’s Biosecurity Strategy. The day, held jointly in-person and online, had a special focus on three areas:

    • building biosecurity awareness, engagement, education and leadership
    • outbreak preparedness, response training and emerging threats
    • biosecurity risk planning in community and industry.

Workshop discussions highlighted the importance of ongoing partnerships between government, industry and community. The need to maintain broad awareness and understanding of the need for biosecurity, what activities it entails, and working together to implement these, were strong themes emerging from the day.

CISS staff also took the opportunity to visit the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA), the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research and AgVic’s weed biocontrol team at the AgriBio research facility at La Trobe University. All are important contributors to managing invasive species and the team identified various potential opportunities for collaboration.

From left: Agriculture Victoria staff, Umar Lubanga, Jackie Steel and Greg LaFoe with Maree Wright of CISS, second left, looking at blackberries.

Meanwhile, CISS’s Business and Science Portfolio Manager, Sean Freney, attended the NSW Independent Commissioner’s Biosecurity Roundtable, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss the management of feral pigs and deer across NSW.

Participants shared valuable insight into current management issues and ideas to improve landscape-scale management into the future. Input from the roundtable will feed into the Independent Commissioners Biosecurity Review on NSW feral pig and deer management programs.