Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Land
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water resources for agriculture, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Office
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Biodiversity
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Invasive species
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Wildlife trade
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Our science strategy
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us Enhancing Australia’s agriculture, environment, heritage and water resources through regulation and partnership.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    A day in the life

    A day in the life...

    Our video series showcases the diverse and important work we do.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Biosecurity
  4. Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper - Biosecurity Surveillance and Analysis

Sidebar first - Biosecurity

  • Biosecurity
    • Coronavirus
      • Food and agriculture
      • Exports
      • Imports
      • Domestic animals
    • Commonwealth Biosecurity 2030
    • Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper-Biosecurity Surveillance and Analysis
      • Improving biosecurity surveillance and analysis
      • Forum Communique-July 2017
      • Australian Livestock Industry Health Studies
    • Onshore Biosecurity Levy
    • Biosecurity Matters
      • Gardening
      • Farming
      • Domestic travel
      • International travel
      • Online shopping
      • Recreational fishing
      • Bushwalking
      • Owning pets
      • Boat owner
      • Long distance driver
    • Committees and partnerships
      • Biosecurity Futures group
      • Industry Consultative committees
      • International Cargo Cooperative Biosecurity Arrangement
      • Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme
      • National Biosecurity Committee
        • National Biosecurity Forum
          • Previous forums
        • National Biosecurity Emergency Preparedness Expert Group
        • State and territory biosecurity roundtables
        • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity
          • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Review
            • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Review Discussion Paper
            • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Review Draft Report
            • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Review Final Report
            • AGMIN Joint Statement
            • Response from agriculture ministers
              • Property Identification Reforms
          • National Surveillance and Diagnostics Framework
          • National Transition Program Policy Framework
          • National Biosecurity Engagement and Communication Framework
          • National Framework for the Management of Established Pests and Diseases of National Significance
        • National Biosecurity Response Team Arrangements 2017-2019
        • National Environment and Community Biosecurity Research, Development and Extension Strategy 2021-26
        • National RD&E Priorities for Invasive Plants and Animals 2016-2020
        • NBC Membership List
      • Northern Australia Biosecurity Framework
        • Northern Australia Biosecurity Framework Reference Group
      • Partnerships in biosecurity
        • MOU Agriculture and Health
      • National Biosecurity Statement
        • Communication and Engagement Strategy
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
      • Aircraft
        • Aircraft disinsection
          • Aircraft disinsection information (ADI) database user guide
          • Aircraft disinsection procedures for flights into Australia and New Zealand
          • Airline Disinsection Information (ADI) database
        • Aircraft application form
        • Arrangements for aircraft invoking sovereign immunity
        • Guidelines for airline and aircraft operators arriving in Australian territory
        • Landing places determined as first points of entry for aircraft
      • Vessels
        • Australian registered vessels
        • Biosecurity legislation and the Australian territory
        • Cabotage cargo (fertiliser, grain and stockfeed)
        • Commercial vessel biosecurity reporting
          • Crew change
          • Routine vessel inspections
          • Ship sanitation certification
          • Coastal status or coastal stripping of commercial vessels
        • Vessels arriving at first points of entry or non-first points of entry
          • Alternative biosecurity entry point application form
          • First points of entry – information for arriving vessels and goods
          • First points of entry - seaport operator requirements
        • Human health
          • Crew change
          • Pratique
        • Marine pest biosecurity
          • Ballast Water
            • Australian Ballast Water Management Requirements
            • Ballast Water Authorisation
          • Biofouling
            • Anti-fouling and in-water cleaning guidelines
              • General recommendations
            • Biofouling management requirements
            • Consultation Regulation Impact Statement
              • Consultation Regulation Impact Statement, 2011
        • Maritime Arrivals Reporting System (MARS)
          • MARS communications and training materials
          • MARS offline forms
        • Non-commercial vessels
          • Accredited suppliers list for termite detection services
          • Importing vessels with timber components frequently asked questions
          • Importing vessels with timber components
        • Offshore installations
          • Offshore Installations Biosecurity Guide
        • Plants and insects
          • Burnt pine longicorn beetle - person in charge questionnaire and statement
        • Pre-arrival reporting for certain Australian External Territories
        • Reportable biosecurity incidents
      • Military
        • Australian Defence Force
          • Cleaning instructions - Personal equipment
        • Visiting military
          • Essential biosecurity information for military forces
          • Foreign government vessels invoking sovereign immunity
        • Cleaning requirements
        • Military frequently asked questions
        • Military vessels
        • Offshore inspections of military equipment
        • Ration packs
      • Transhipping through Australia
        • Transhipped ship’s stores lodgement cover sheet
    • Biosecurity in Australia
      • Biosecurity Advanced Analytics Capability
      • Detector dogs
      • Innovative Biosecurity 3D X-ray Project
      • Modernising Australia’s approach to managing established pests and diseases of national significance: Discussion paper
      • Northern biosecurity
        • Aquatic pest biosecurity community awareness
        • Biosecurity Business Grants Program
        • Ranger Capability Building Grants Program
        • Biosecurity-it’s everyone’s business virtual reality experience
        • Country Handle with Care - Costa and dirtgirl Tackle Biosecurity
        • Frontline-northern biosecurity’s community song
        • Frontline Ranger Newsletter
        • Rabies Awareness-Keep a Top Watch! in your community animation
        • Report a pest, weed or disease in Northern Australia
        • You can be a Biosecurity Champion too!
          • Developing industry and supporting local growers
      • Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy 2030
      • Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS)
        • Co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
        • Aircraft arriving on the Australian mainland from Torres Strait
        • NAQS target pests, diseases and weeds
        • Moving goods to, from and within Torres Strait
        • Significant events in the history of NAQs
          • Celebrating 30 years of co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
          • Commemorating 25 years of NAQS
        • Shipping and yachting in the Torres Strait
        • Map of NAQS zones
      • Public awareness and education
        • Australian biosecurity webinar series
        • Australian Biosecurity Awards
          • Current Australian Biosecurity Award recipients
          • Past Australian Biosecurity Award recipients
      • Reform of the biosecurity system
        • Industry Partnerships and Engagement
      • Reports and publications
        • 2008-12 Imported cargo processing, a DAFF time release study
        • Biosecurity Matters Newsletter
        • Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility: The Nairn report
          • Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility: The Government response
      • Pest and disease surveillance at Australia’s borders
      • Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Biosecurity Strategy
    • Biosecurity research and innovation
      • Biosecurity Innovation Exchange 2018
      • Biosecurity Innovation Program
    • Biosecurity risk analysis
      • Import proposals
      • Conducting a biosecurity risk analysis
        • Appropriate Level of Protection
        • Final Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis report checklist
        • Australia’s international biosecurity obligations
        • Roles and responsibilities in a Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis
        • Scientific Advisory Group
      • Animal import risk analyses
        • Cooked turkey meat from the United States
          • Cooked turkey meat from the United States - Commencement of a review
        • Cooked duck meat from Thailand
        • Dairy products for human consumption
        • Fish and fish products for use as pet food and stockfeed
        • Hatching eggs of poultry
        • Natural sausage casings
        • Psittacine birds
        • Review of prawns and prawn products
          • Submissions received on the Review of prawns and prawn products – draft report
          • submissions
        • Zoo bovids from approved countries
      • Plant risk analyses
        • Plant commodity/country and pest risk analyses
        • How we conduct a plant risk analysis
        • Apples from USA (2018)
        • Cut flowers and foliage
        • Limes from Mexico
        • Okra from India
        • Oriental melon and rockmelon fruit from Korea
        • Potatoes from New Zealand
        • Xylella bacterial pathogens
      • Group pest risk analyses
        • Group pest risk analysis for scale insects
          • Draft report fact sheet
        • Group pest risk analysis for thrips and orthotospoviruses
          • Draft report
          • Fact sheet
          • Final report
        • Group pest risk analysis for mealybugs
          • Draft report
          • Draft report fact sheet
          • Final report
          • Final report fact sheet
      • Biological control agents
        • Risk analyses
          • Completed Risk Analyses
          • Current Risk Analyses
        • Host test lists
        • Protocol for biological control agents
      • Weed assessments
        • Development of the Weed Risk Assessment system
        • Weed risk assessments frequently asked questions
        • Reasons for the Weed Risk Assessment system
        • The Weed Risk Assessment process
          • Weed Risk Assessment system
      • Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis guidelines
      • Centre of excellence for biosecurity risk analysis
      • Biosecurity advices
      • Register as a stakeholder
    • Emergency preparedness and outbreak response
      • Exercises
      • National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement review
        • NBC approach to the NEBRA five year review recommendations
      • Horse Disease Response Levy review
      • Wildlife Exotic Disease Preparedness Program
        • Feral animals as hosts of exotic disease: Identification of potential disease contact between feral animals and sites of exotic disease incursion
        • Avian Influenza Viruses in Migratory Shorebirds and Nomadic Water Fowl in South Australia
        • Avian Migration and Movement pathogens in the Australo-Papuan context
        • AWHN OIE Report 2004
        • AWHN OIE Report 2005
        • Destroy and Let Lie Disposal Project
        • Development and Validation - Newcastle Disease
        • Field Surveillance and Monitoring - Leishmania in the Northern Territory
        • Final report: preparing Australia by preparing Papua New Guinea
        • GIS Mapping Software in National Surveillance Database
        • Identifying and Mapping Hendra virus
        • Identifying and Mapping Hendra Virus (2)
        • Identifying and Mapping Hendra Virus Strain Diversity (Stage 1)
        • Improving the Relevance and Efficiency of Wild Bird Surveillance for AI
        • Reservoirs of Infection: The Epidemiological Characteristics of an Emerging Pathogen
        • Summary Report - Contraceptives Pigs
        • Summary Report - pigs disease spread
    • Animal
    • Plant
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Environmental biosecurity
      • Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer
      • Environmental Biosecurity Framework
      • Environmental biosecurity stakeholder engagement
      • Priority list of exotic pests, weeds and diseases
      • The Environmental Biosecurity Project Fund
    • Biosecurity questions and answers
    • Legislation
      • List of Biosecurity Preparedness Plans
      • List of Goods That May Carry Hitchhiker Pests
      • The Biosecurity Act 2015
        • Changes to import requirements
        • Introduction to the Biosecurity Act Interactive Learning tool
        • Reviewable decisions
      • Reportable biosecurity incidents
        • Reportable biosecurity incidents form
      • Compliance and enforcement
        • Biosecurity Compliance Plan 2016-17
        • Biosecurity Compliance Statement
        • Compliance and enforcement tools
        • Redline - report a biosecurity breach
        • Export and import laws and the role of the department
        • Infringement Notice Scheme
    • Fees and charges
    • Forms

Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper – Biosecurity Surveillance and Analysis

​The Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper (the White Paper) was an Australian Government plan to grow agriculture. It was a $4 billion investment in our farmers and in the future of our nation.

Through the White Paper, the government announced $200 million for biosecurity surveillance and analysis to better target critical biosecurity risks. The investment has improved Australia’s ability to detect and manage biosecurity risks early and, in turn, minimise damage to our farmers, the environment and the economy. It has also helped us grow our evidence base for our pest and disease status to support Australia’s access to overseas markets.

Most of the White Paper funding provided for biosecurity was for surveillance and analysis activities over 4 years until 30 June 2019. Some of the information and analysis components have funding to continue work until 30 June 2020. The activities will leave a legacy for biosecurity beyond the funding period.

Our department was responsible for implementing the biosecurity surveillance and analysis initiatives funded through the White Paper. The initiatives were delivered under four themes and through 10 measures.

[expand all]

Strengthening surveillance

Biosecurity surveillance helps the department detect and respond to biosecurity threats and provides evidence to show freedom from pests and diseases to support market access.

The White Paper funding allowed us to conduct additional surveillance activities in Australia and overseas and to extend our surveillance strategies in cooperation with state and territory governments, community and industry.

This theme was split into the following measures:

1. Improving biosecurity surveillance

Through this measure, we have improved Australia’s biosecurity surveillance capacity, which has allowed us to demonstrate to our trading partners that we are free from specific pests and diseases of concern to them. Our enhanced biosecurity surveillance capacity means we are able to respond more rapidly to biosecurity incidents should they arise.

Work under this measure included:

  • developing strategies to guide investment (including surveillance strategies for the citrus and forestry industries)
  • conducting surveillance activities onshore
  • establishing nationally consistent and efficient business processes that support surveillance, diagnostic activities and sample tracking.

2. Better data for northern Australia

Existing northern Australia biosecurity data has been connected, cleaned and reformatted. This has improved our ability to analyse the data and facilitate sharing with stakeholders. Historical data, such as specimen collections housed in various locations across the north, has been electronically catalogued and is now readily available. This work has had real impact: surveillance data from the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy provided to the Western Australian Government has assisted a determination on the absence of banana freckle within that State.

3. Offshore surveys for northern pathways

Working closely with our neighbors Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, we managed biosecurity risks that were affecting the region. We also collaborated to understand biosecurity risks in Australian Indian Ocean Territories to identify and address threats before they could reach mainland Australia.

4. Northern Australia biosecurity surveillance

We collaborated with governments, researchers and industry partners located in northern Australia to prioritise and develop additional approaches to surveillance activities for our aquatic environment. These now include better monitoring of aquatic pests and diseases and training for industry, fishers, government and the community.

We have also improved our understanding of the pathways for biosecurity risk through Torres Strait and upgraded facilities and communication infrastructure to support surveillance activities in the north. Tools and systems were also developed to better support the collection, collation and analysis of data relating to biosecurity risk inspection activities in Torres Strait.

Building community–based engagement

We have expanded the biosecurity work of Indigenous Rangers and raised biosecurity awareness across northern Australia through targeted messaging and sponsorship of community events.

This theme is split into the following measures:

1. Community engagement for stronger biosecurity in the north

Biosecurity impacts everyone and we want everyone across the north to play a role in biosecurity – to keep a ‘Top Watch’ to identify and report potential biosecurity threats. We used new technologies and proven ways to spread the word on biosecurity risks that may affect the north. This allowed us to develop trusted relationships with the agricultural sector and encouraged the involvement of key industries and stakeholders in biosecurity activities. As a result we have improved awareness of biosecurity threats in the north and ways to report them.

We engaged Biosecurity Champions and Ambassadors—high profile people who are aligned with the agricultural sector—to promote the importance of biosecurity. This was achieved through awareness products such as videos, media and sponsoring relevant community events.

We improved the collection, analysis, and distribution of biosecurity surveillance and monitoring information. This included creating a web presence that the community can now use to report pests, weeds, and diseases.

Greater awareness of biosecurity helps to reduce the risk of threats establishing in Australia, which benefits our agricultural industries and the Australian economy.

2. Indigenous Rangers for biosecurity work in northern Australia

The Indigenous Rangers program creates employment, training, and career pathways for Indigenous people in land and sea management. The program specifically supports Indigenous people to combine their traditional knowledge of the environment with conservation training to protect and manage their land, sea and culture.

Rangers provide valuable biosecurity services across northern Australia, including monitoring fruit fly, testing cattle for diseases and conducting weed and pest surveys.

Growing scientific capability

To improve our scientific capability, the White Paper funded scientific staff to:

  • assess biosecurity risks
  • analyse those risks through more efficient approaches
  • review import conditions
  • work more closely with stakeholders.

Technical market access strategies for Australian exporters to get their products into markets overseas were developed.

We invested in laboratory infrastructure, updated our diagnostic equipment and funded research into emerging aquatic and terrestrial pests and diseases to grow our scientific biosecurity capability.

This theme is split into the following measures:

1. Technical market access

With around 65 per cent of our agricultural produce exported, access to overseas markets is vital for a profitable agriculture sector. Being able to access a broad range of markets reduces reliance on any one market and increases the opportunity for higher profits for farmers.

Through this measure, we developed market access strategies for Australian exporters. We helped ensure those exporters were aware of importing country requirements and liaised with overseas government authorities about any changes to conditions.

The work also included looking into innovative ways to assess import risk more efficiently. We committed to review all import conditions on animal and plant products to ensure they remain effective in managing biosecurity risk. We also worked with our trading partners on their market access requests.

Stakeholder attitudes to biosecurity were investigated to better inform biosecurity activities. We also trialed a dedicated point-of-contact for stakeholders to communicate with us on import risk analyses.

2. Modern diagnostics

We improved plant and animal health diagnostics capability and infrastructure to support diagnostics in northern Australia by:

  • upgrading laboratory infrastructure
  • coordinating and sharing diagnostic information
  • identifying capability gaps for plant and animal pests and disease diagnosis
  • providing diagnostic training
  • developing diagnosis tools.

This work leaves a legacy of enhanced diagnostic skills and equipment throughout northern Australia and helps us to more effectively reduce and rapidly address biosecurity risks.

Information and analysis

We are replacing legacy information systems and have already improved our ability to collect, collate, store, analyse and share biosecurity information. All biosecurity information has been consolidated to create complete and accessible data that can be used for biosecurity analysis. We have established a dedicated biosecurity analytics capability.

This theme is split into the following measures:

1. The Biosecurity Integrated Information System

Our surveillance, community and scientific work is generating a lot of new data, but that data has limited value if we lack the systems to capture and analyse it.
Development of new information systems continues into the 2019/20 financial year and will lay the foundation to improve our ability to collect, collate, store, analyse and share biosecurity information.

The Biosecurity Integrated Information System (BIIS) will support our regulatory and policy functions, provide detailed pest and disease information and ultimately support our officers to provide better informed timely decisions underpinning agricultural import and exports.  This capability will gradually be delivered over the remaining life of the program.

We have also recruited and trained skilled analysts to understand the data and work closely with business subject matter experts in developing continued insights into biosecurity risks.

This work will help focus biosecurity efforts on areas of high risk, to safeguard our primary production and valuable exports.

2. The Biosecurity Advanced Analytics Capability

The work we do generates a huge amount of data. As the amount of data increases, it is becoming more important to make the best use of it by transforming the data into information that we can use to make better biosecurity risk management decisions.

Analytics helps to answer hard questions like what happened and why? and helps determine what actions are needed. It can also help us predict what might happen if something changes. We have recruited and trained skilled analysts, developed a pest and disease repository to provide a single source of information about pests and diseases, and facilitated data sharing with state and territory governments.

This work has helped us focus biosecurity efforts on areas of highest risk, to safeguard our primary production and valuable exports.

Benefits

Through the White Paper, the Australian Government committed to make the agricultural sector more competitive, profitable and resilient.

Benefits of the work include:

  1. maintaining increased, or improved, export market access
  2. enhanced biosecurity surveillance activities that better target, locate and manage exotic pests and diseases, and provide greater evidence of area freedom from pests and diseases
  3. enhanced capacity and capability so that Australia is better prepared to identify and manage biosecurity risks
  4. increased stakeholder engagement that has improved biosecurity awareness and education on biosecurity monitoring and reporting

Find out more about biosecurity surveillance and analysis projects

  • Plant health
  • Plant pests and diseases
  • Bees and bee pests and diseases
  • Risk analysis efficiency trials
  • Plant risk analyses
  • Group pest risk analyses
  • Vegetable seeds policy review
  • Review of import conditions for cucurbitaceous crop seeds for sowing into Australia
  • Review of plant, animal and biological import conditions
  • Importing plants and plant products
  • Fresh strawberry fruit from Japan
  • Non-regulated analysis of existing policy for fresh strawberry fruit from the Republic of Korea
  • Scientific advisory group
  • Biosecurity Advanced Analytics Capability
  • Northern biosecurity
  • Frontline – northern biosecurity community song
  • Community engagement
  • Risk Analysis for fresh dragon fruit from Indonesia
  • Review of import conditions for brassicaceous crop seeds for sowing
​​​

Contacts

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Latest news

  • Media releases

Re​lated documents

  • Stakeholder Forum Communique – July 2017
  • Improving biosecurity surveillance and analysis

Related pages

  • Biosecurity legislation

Related websites

  • Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper
  • Biosecurity Act 2015
  • Explanatory memorandum for the Biosecurity Bill 2014

For more information

Email: AG White Paper Biosecurity 
Phone: 1800 040 629

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 09 August 2021

© Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.