ARDC partner the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA) at the University of Melbourne, which leads Biosecurity Commons, has had a significant impact on biosecurity over the past 2 decades.
And the recent announcement of 3 years further funding opens even more possibilities for the pioneering research centre.
The $6.4m government grant will allow it to continue collaborative biosecurity research to protect the nation’s agricultural, fisheries and forestry industries, environment, and way of life.
It also demonstrates belief in what CEBRA can achieve and recognition for its contribution to the sector.
While CEBRA collaborates with global partners, its work in the Australian and New Zealand biosecurity sectors has been particularly impactful.
CEBRA CEO, Professor Andrew Robinson from the School of BioSciences and the School of Mathematics and Statistics, said: “Biosecurity is an incredibly important undertaking that touches everyone. It helps protect the things we value – our agriculture, our environment, our way of life, and our economy – from the potentially disastrous impacts of invasive species.
“The best part is that biosecurity is stronger when it’s shared.”
There is no better example of this sharing ethos than Biosecurity Commons.
Biosecurity Commons, which is hosted within CEBRA and supported by the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), is a ground-breaking platform for modelling and analysing biosecurity risk and response.
The platform aims to tackle one of the major issues in biosecurity – limited collaboration and the creation of work that is rarely shared, reused or improved upon.
Applying the cutting-edge research produced by CEBRA and other partners, Biosecurity Commons is at the forefront of collaboration with industry and government entities across all levels – local councils, state authorities, and the Commonwealth – to significantly improve the estimation and management of critical biosecurity threats.
The team tackles contemporary issues such as Buffel grass in South Australia, Red Imported Fire Ants in and around Brisbane, fruit fly surveillance in Victoria and Potato Cyst Nematode area freedom in Tasmania.
By working with this diversity of stakeholders, Biosecurity Commons is becoming instrumental in proactively defending our environment and agriculture against emerging threats yet to arrive at our border.
It allows organisations to rigorously assess biosecurity risk and design effective and efficient surveillance and control programs.
Biosecurity Commons is currently being used by Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries through its Cooperative Surveillance (CoSurv) project, which integrates field and lab data on exotic, priority and endemic pests into a single risk-assessment framework.
Biosecurity Commons standardises those inputs, runs validated models, and delivers clear pest-risk cards outlining likelihood, confidence and recommended actions, sharpening decisions for regulators and industry.
Dr John Alawneh, CoSurv lead, said: “Biosecurity Commons gives us a rigorous baseline. When its outputs are combined with specialist insight and the wider community of practice, we see why risks change and what measures will keep them in check.”
This diverse range of collaborations demonstrates the effect the platform is already having as it establishes itself as a solution for decision-makers and researchers looking to respond efficiently to biosecurity threats.
Hamish Holewa, Director of Planet Research Data Commons, ARDC, said, “Australia’s biosecurity is enhanced through collaborations based on consistent, accessible data and modelling. The ARDC is excited to see the value of enduring national research infrastructure demonstrated through the broad use of Biosecurity Commons across sectors to enhance Australia’s capacity to understand and manage biosecurity risks.”
With funding secured and projects like Biosecurity Commons prospering, CEBRA will continue to build on 19 years of significant impact and influence to help maintain our way of life.
Learn more about Biosecurity Commons.
The ARDC is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) to support national digital research infrastructure for Australian researchers.
