Works at: AUSVEG

Position: Biosecurity Officer

Today, we’re speaking to one of our own – Maddy Quirk. Maddy, thanks for taking the time to chat!

Firstly, can you please give us a brief overview of your role here at AUSVEG?

I work as a Biosecurity Officer within the AUSVEG Engagement and Extension team. In my role, which is co-managed by Plant Health Australia, I work with the Australian vegetable and potato industries to improve the management of, and preparedness for, biosecurity risks at the farm gate and industry level.

Day to day, my role involves engaging with vegetable and potato growers, state and federal governments, industry bodies, grower organisations, researchers, and other industry members, to communicate key biosecurity messages.

You’ve been at AUSVEG since 2016. What types of projects have you been involved in over that time?

I began my time at AUSVEG working in project development, which eventually led me to the role of biosecurity officer in mid-2017. My main area of focus is on-farm biosecurity, but I have also undertaken work on specific exotic pests such as brown marmorated stink bug, exotic leafminers and fall armyworm.

In 2018-19, I was involved in an innovative program called the Urban Biosecurity Pilot Program. This program took place in Melbourne, where we focused on engaging with community gardeners to raise awareness of some of the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment’s top 42 exotic pests including giant African snail, exotic leafminers, and brown marmorated stink bug.

What do you find most rewarding about your current role and working in the vegetable industry?

Everyone has a role to play in strengthening Australia’s biosecurity system, and it is incredibly rewarding to be part of an area of work where we are all working towards a common goal.

For me, I take most pride in facilitating biosecurity-related discussions and seeing knowledge transform into action at the local, regional, state and national levels.

What has been the highlight of your time at AUSVEG to date?

There have been many highlights during my time at AUSVEG, especially given that my role is so diverse. I enjoy all elements of my work, but my favourite activity is definitely heading on-farm to discuss biosecurity and pest and disease management with growers. The horticulture industry is an incredibly fast-paced environment and I love to see it all in action, so I am grateful for any opportunity to get out into the field!

How has COVID-19 impacted your project activities? What changes have you made to accommodate the current restrictions?

Prior to COVID-19, I would regularly travel interstate to engage with growers face-to-face, undertake farm visits, and deliver workshops. In fact, this year began with a series of visits to growing regions in the Northern Territory and Queensland, where we met with growers and facilitated biosecurity workshops.

The intention was to follow these up with engagement trips to Western Australia and Tasmania; however, these were soon cancelled when the lockdown restrictions came into place in mid-March.

While this presented us with a challenge, we began brainstorming other ways to engage with industry remotely. Naturally, we shifted to virtual methods of engagement that has included over the phone grower interviews and consultation, videoconferences, and developing webinars, podcasts, and videos.

Through these methods, we have been able to communicate the farm biosecurity message effectively to growers, supply chain, government, and the wider industry.

Our team is extremely proud of the outputs we have produced this year, particularly our biosecurity videos and webinars. One of our videos even received over 1,200 views on YouTube, which was exciting to see. You can take a look at some of the videos we have produced on the AUSVEG website or on the AUSVEG YouTube Channel.

At this stage, what are the plans for 2021 in terms of project activities?  

We can’t wait to be back on farm engaging with growers as soon as it’s safe to do so, but we also believe that online activities will remain an important tool for engagement going into the future.

We we will continue to deliver webinars, podcasts, and videos in 2021. Our activities are largely guided by the needs of industry, so if there are specific pests of biosecurity concern that you want to hear about, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at science@ausveg.com.au.

How can growers get in touch or keep up to date with AUSVEG’s biosecurity activities?

Growers and the wider industry can sign up to The Front Line Biosecurity Bulletin to receive relevant biosecurity updates as we release them. Click here to subscribe or for further details.

We also have an active Twitter account and we can be reached at science@ausveg.com.au.

Each week, the Weekly Update will be featuring a member of the vegetable industry. Whether you are a grower, a researcher or work in the supply chain, this is a chance to showcase the different roles and areas within horticulture. If you – or someone you know – would like to be involved, please email Michelle De’Lisle at michelle.delisle@ausveg.com.au.