Biosecurity

Biosecurity is fundamental for safeguarding our valuable agricultural resources against the threat and impacts of pests, weeds and diseases (pests).

Biosecurity is the management of the risk of animal and plant pests and diseases entering, emerging, establishing or spreading in Western Australia, to protect our economy, environment and the community.

To protect Western Australian agricultural industries from pests the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia:

Works with stakeholders to identify and manage biosecurity risks.
Develops legislation.
Establishes import controls.
Conducts inspections.
Provides quarantine services as required.

To find out more about what we do to protect agricultural production and export opportunities within the State please search our website.

Articles

Psa of kiwifruit: Declared pest

27 June 2019

Psa (Pseudomonas syringae pv.
Spider mite pests of Western Australian plants

9 October 2013

Mites of the Tetranychidae family (commonly known as spider mites) include some important pests of economic concern to agriculture and forestry.
Citrus gall wasp control

4 September 2017

Citrus gall wasp (Bruchophagus fellis) is an Australian native insect from northern NSW and Queensland and is now established in most Perth suburbs.
Mango malformation disease: declared pest

22 February 2023

Mango malformation disease is a disease of mangoes, caused by several species of the fungus Fusarium (including Fusarium mangiferae), that can cause significant yield losses.
Queensland fruit fly

6 February 2015

Queensland fruit fly (Qfly, Bactrocera tryoni) is considered to be one of the most serious pests of fruit and vegetables in Australia.
Codling moth: declared pest

11 April 2014

Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) is a serious pest of apples and other pome fruit and has the potential to cause severe crop losses.
Glassy-winged sharpshooter: declared pest

16 September 2022

Glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) is a sucking leafhopper known to be a vector to bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which causes various serious plant diseases.
Banana freckle: biosecurity alert

18 October 2013

Banana freckle was detected in Dwarf Cavendish banana fruit in the Northern Territory in May 2022. The Northern Territory Government is responding to this new detection.
Papaya sticky disease: biosecurity alert

16 August 2019

Papaya sticky disease is absent from Western Australia. It has recently been reported from the Northern Territory, after being detected in Queensland in 2014.
Blueberry rust

12 November 2014

Blueberry rust is a fungal disease that affects blueberries and some relatives in the Ericaceae plant family. The disease was detected in Western Australia in April 2022.