Responding to an Emergency Plant Pest under the EPPRD
In this article, you will learn how we respond to a Emergency Plant Pests (EPP) under the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD) including:
who the decision makers are in a response
how are decisions made
the role of Grains Producers Australia in a response.
Key points
The EPPRD provides a consistent and agreed national approach for the eradication of EPPs.
An EPP is an unwanted plant pest or disease that has a significant national impact on our crops, bees or edible fungi. A full definition of an EPP can be found in the EPPRD available on Plant Health Australia’s website.
During a response, decisions are made by national committees including the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests (CCEPP) and the National Management Group (NMG).
The Australian government, all state and territory governments and peak plant industries including Grains Producers Australia are members of these national committees and work to develop, implement and review a response plan that supports eradication of an EPP.
Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed
The EPPRD provides a consistent and nationally agreed approach to the management and funding of a response to an EPP incursion. The EPPRD:
is a legally binding agreement between the Australian government, all state and territory governments, peak plant industry bodies and Plant Health Australia
enables industries who are signatories to have a key role in the decision-making process
provides accountability and transparency to all parties affected by the EPP
covers the potential for Owner Reimbursement Costs (ORC) for growers
commits all signatories to implement risk mitigation strategies and maintain trained personnel and technical expertise.
Grains Producers Australia (GPA) became a signatory to the EPPRD in recognition of the significant benefits to our industry in preparing for and responding to an EPP.
Simply put, an EPP is a plant pest that would likely have a nationally significant impact, either economic or environmental, and must fulfill one of the following criteria:
a known plant pest not previously detected (or previously eradicated) in Australia
a variant form of an established plant pest that can be distinguished by appropriate investigative and diagnostic methods
a newly identified plant pest of unknown or uncertain origin
a plant pest already found in Australia that:
is restricted to a defined area through regulatory measures to prevent further spread of the pest; and
has been detected outside the defined area; and
is not a native of Australia; and
is not the subject of any instrument for management which is agreed to be effective risk mitigation and management at a national level.
The full definition of an EPP can be found on Plant Health Australia’s website.
Grain Producers Australia decision making role during a response
As a signatory to the EPPRD, Grains Producers Australia has representation in the decision making that supports the development and delivery of a response to eradicate an EPP. If the grains industry is directly impacted by an EPP Grains Producers Australia will be a member of the CCEPP and the NMG which are formed to manage the response. The grains industry may also provide support via industry liaison roles (Industry Liaison Officer (ILO) or Coordinator (ILC)).
Who makes the decisions during a response?
The Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests
The CCEPP is a technical committee that is responsible for the effective and efficient coordination of the response. Members of the CCEPP include representatives from affected industries that are signatories of the EPPRD, the Australian government, state and territory governments and Plant Health Australia. During the investigation stage, the CCEPP determines if the incident relates to an EPP and whether it is technically and economically feasible to eradicate. Throughout the response, the CCEPP monitors response progress and makes recommendations to the NMG for their approval. Grains Producers Australia will consult with our board and executive management team when making decisions on behalf of our industry.
The National Management Group
The NMG is the key decision-making group that among other things, approves a response plan and its associated budget, which is then funded through the cost sharing arrangements under the EPPRD by the governments and affected industries. Members of the NMG include senior delegates from the Australian, state and territory governments and the appropriately authorised person from affected industry organisations.
Decisions made by the NMG are by consensus except for those that relate to financial (cost sharing) matters which must be unanimous.
Industry Liaison Officers
Industry Liaison Officers (ILO) are a key conduit of information between the lead agency implementing the response plan, and the national peak industry body. Throughout the response an ILO will:
assist the lead agency in understanding their industry and minimise impacts on business continuity
provide their industry perspective on aspects of response activities
provide an industry perspective to support communication and engagement activities.
How are decisions made during a response?
The Australian government and all state and territory governments are represented at the CCEPP and NMG for every response as the impact of the pest has national consequences. The industry membership of the CCEPP and NMG varies based on which industries are impacted by the EPP that is being responded to. Only industries that are directly impacted will have representation on the CCEPP and NMG and therefore have a say on how a response is managed.
To support Grain Producers Australia decision making during a response our representatives on the CCEPP and NMG engage with our board and our members. Grain Producers Australia also undertakes preparedness planning to ensure we can make decisions quickly by engaging with our members in peacetime. Grain Producers Australia (GPA) engages with growers to support decision-making during emergency plant pest responses through its role as a signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD). This involves representing growers in national biosecurity processes, providing direct input on emergency response efforts, and ensuring that growers are prepared with practical tools and information to manage biosecurity risks. GPA collaborates with Plant Health Australia to implement the Grains Farm Biosecurity Program, which includes biosecurity officers across five states. This program strengthens on-farm biosecurity and supports local industry preparedness. On top of this GPA conducts regular biosecurity committee meetings with state farming organisations to coordinate, advocate and respond to biosecurity issues which benefit grains growers.
Caption: An Incident Management Team is established to respond to a plant pest or disease incursion.
How are responses under the EPPRD funded?
The EPPRD outlines how the cost of a response is equitably shared between governments and industries based on the relative public and private benefit of eradicating the EPP. Industry will pay a higher proportion of costs to eradicate an EPP that will mainly impact production compared to an EPP that impacts households, the environment and regional and national economies. Based on the relative public and private benefits of eradication each EPP is assigned one of four Categories that identifies the government/industry funding ratio.
Industry’s funding ratio may be paid through statutory levy arrangements or other voluntary means and in consultation with their members. Grain producers contribute 1.02% of their crop sales to the GRDC to support the development of biosecurity measures against pests and diseases. Grain Producers Australia provides oversight, ensuring accountability and effective use of these funds in biosecurity initiatives. How a response is funded will be covered in more detail in a future article.
PLANTPLAN
The Australian Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan, commonly known as PLANTPLAN is a companion document to the EPPRD that outlines the key roles and responsibilities of industry and government parties throughout the life of the response and provides nationally consistent guidelines for managing a response to an EPP.
Job cards within PLANTPLAN list the roles and responsibilities of CCEPP representatives, NMG representatives and ILO. Find out for more information on PLANTPLAN.
How Grains Producers Australia keeps you updated during a response
Throughout a response, Grains Producers Australia will provide accurate up to date information on response activities, keeping you well-informed of the situation. This will include email alerts, social media, webinars and any training that will aid in effective and rapid response to pest incursions. For example, GPA secured an emergency permit for ZP-50 mouse bait following the 2022 mouse plague. Through GPA Training, stewardship programs were conducted to equip growers with the knowledge and legal requirements for safely and effectively applying ZP-50 to their crops.
What you can do now
GPA fosters strong communication between growers and national biosecurity agencies, offering expert advice along with legislative and regulatory guidance. Relevant information is shared with members through the GPA website, social media, webinars, and email updates, ensuring timely access to critical resources and biosecurity insights.
Resources
Read: Want to learn more?
Watch: View videos online to find out more
Learn: Free training available on BOLT
Free training is available on Biosecurity Online Training platform (BOLT). Register your free account to get started.
Grain Producers Australia represents the biosecurity interests of grain producers and the broader grains industry. GPA holds membership of Plant Health Australia and acts as a signatory on behalf of industry to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD).
More information: Biosecurity | Grain Producers Australia
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