People in the agriculture sector know and understand the importance of biosecurity – we live and breathe it every day. However, managing biosecurity risk is the responsibility of all Australians, and we need to tell that story.

With this in mind, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has launched a new social media campaign to encourage awareness of biosecurity.

The webpage for the Biosecurity Matters campaign aims to engage the public on what biosecurity is, why it matters and what their role is in the system. It’s also designed to be a resource that can help you to share the biosecurity story with friends, families, stakeholders and clients, to ensure that all Australians understand the importance of our country’s biosecurity.

The campaign also introduces a well-intentioned but hapless character, Jeff, in the “Don’t be a Jeff” series of videos where he ends up in scenarios that compromise biosecurity. Jeff is shown mishandling farm biosecurity, improperly disposing of fish and not declaring a souvenir when re-entering the country from overseas.

These resources are great for promoting the importance of biosecurity to Australian agriculture, as well as to everyone else in the country as well – so be sure to share them around your networks!

For more information, or to provide feedback on the campaign, please contact Amber Parr at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources on 6272 5388 or amber.parr@agriculture.gov.au.

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 27 March 2018.