The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has declared that Australia needs a more innovative, coordinated and collaborative biosecurity system if it is to deal with severe biosecurity events like the COVID-19 pandemic in the future.
In a report, Australia’s Biosecurity Future: Unlocking the Next Decade of Resilience 2020 -2030, CSIRO says Australia was at risk of increased disease outbreaks and pest incursions, weakened exports and damage to its global trading reputation.
“In the five years to 2017, the amount of biosecurity risk materials intercepted in Australia increased by almost 50 per cent,” the report says.
“At the same time, the risk of biosecurity threats like pandemics is on the rise, fuelled by global trade and travel, urbanisation, climate change, biodiversity loss and anti-microbial resistance.”
Launching the report at the Australian Biosecurity 2030 Workshop, Director of Health and Biosecurity at CSIRO, Rob Grenfell said COVID-19 illustrated the inter-connectedness between human, animal and environmental health and where a weakness in one was a vulnerability for all.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has increased community and public awareness of the importance of biosecurity,” Dr Grenfell said.
“We need to take this unique opportunity to transform Australia’s biosecurity system so it can cope with the growing volume and complexity of threats.”
He said how Australia navigated the changes that were needed over the next decade would significantly impact the health of Australians.
Dr Grenfell said Australia had one of the strongest biosecurity systems in the world and a global reputation as a high-quality exporter, protecting environmental assets valued at more than $6 trillion and saving Australian industries billions of dollars a year.
“While the current model has served us well, the report found it needs to be enhanced to handle the growing biosecurity threats the nation faces otherwise Australia could be exposed to significant social, environmental and financial consequences,” he said.
“The biosecurity system of the future needs to be built on digital, autonomous and inter-connected platform technologies.”
The CSIRO’s Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
