Safeguarding our future

Biosecurity happens near you!

You might think biosecurity is just for farmers or airport officials – but it actually starts with everyday actions that you can play a part in too!

Biosecurity is happening everywhere– even in your town, school, or backyard. What you do in your local area can directly affect nearby farms and ecosystems.

Simple actions, like bringing fruit across a state border or not cleaning your boots after a bushwalk, can spread pests and diseases fast. That’s why everyone has a role to play – not just people in agriculture.

Farms are often close to towns and schools. That means what happens in your community can directly affect them. Something as simple as bringing fruit from one place to another, or not cleaning your boots after a bushwalk, can spread pests and diseases quickly. That is why biosecurity is not just for people in agriculture – it’s something everyone needs to care about.

Here’s how people in your community are helping protect Australia every day:

• Reporting strange insects or sick plants in gardens or parks. If you see something odd, tell a parent, teacher, or call the biosecurity hotline.
• Checking backyard vegie patches and pets for signs of pests or disease.
• Not bringing fruit or vegetables across borders, especially into states like South Australia or Tasmania–they have strict biosecurity laws.
• Supermarkets tracking where food comes from, so we get safe, high-quality fruit, veggies, meat, and seafood.

If people ignore these things, the consequences hit fast, especially for farmers. Check out the video below to see what it might look like if you do not play your part:

Now that you know that local farmers rely on the broader Australian community to help protect their plants and animals, check out some profiles of Australian farmers below talking about why biosecurity is important to them:

Sustainability and climate change

Good biosecurity also supports a healthy planet.

• Less pests = fewer chemicals needed
• Clean soil, air and water
• Healthy crops and animals
• Less food waste

Biosecurity also protects global food trade. If another country has a dangerous pest, Australia might have to stop importing their fruit. That could make food more expensive or harder to find.

As the climate warms, pests and diseases can survive in places they never could before. More storms, floods, and droughts also spread pests faster. That’s why biosecurity strategies need to evolve to protect Australia’s

• crops
• wildlife
• communities.

We all have a part to play to protect the future in a changing world.

Without biosecurity, we couldn’t safely import food from other countries. If another country had a pest that could hurt our farmers, Australia might have to stop importing their fruit. That could make food more expensive or harder to find.

You can help!

You don’t have to be a scientist to make a difference. Here’s how you can be a biosecurity legend:

• report any strange insects or plants
• don’t pack fruit or veg when travelling
• use quarantine bins at state borders
• clean your boots and check pets after outdoor trips.

Small actions = big impact.

Want to boost your biosecurity knowledge? Click on the logos below to explore e-learning courses and macro pest images:

Careers in biosecurity

Want a job that helps protect Australia’s environment, animals, and food? Biosecurity has heaps of awesome career options–whatever you’re into.

You could be:

• a scientist who studies plant pests and diseases
• a vet who keeps animals healthy
• a quarantine officer at airports or shipping ports
• a farmer using smart biosecurity on their property
• a drone pilot spotting problems from the sky.

Whether you’re into nature, animals, science, or tech, there’s a role for you. Watch the videos below to meet real people working in biosecurity and see what a day in their job looks like.