This project will provide outputs that include three main software applications for surveillance (trapping programs, destruction surveillance and general surveys). The project will also select PDA hardware that will be robust in the field and which has suitable memory/processing capability, bar-coding and GIS/GPS compatibility. This project will provide digitised biosecurity surveillance technology that improves the speed and accuracy in capturing and analysing data.

What is the biosecurity problem?

In Australia, nearly all field-collected surveillance information is recorded manually to paper, reducing the rate of capture, integrity, conformity and security of the data for biosecurity purposes. State agencies involved in plant biosecurity are developing national surveillance databases to enhance and maintain access to overseas markets. There is a need for a field-based digital interface in the data collection chain to provide a national system for rapid, validated and secure plant biosecurity surveillance data capture.

The main outputs of this project are to:

• facilitate the development of systems that automatically collect and synchronise data with server applications to provide live updates of detections and distribution for Commonwealth and State reporting and prediction systems.
• recommend a standard to enable regulating at a base level the collection of plant biosecurity surveillance data which is BIOSIRT compliant.
• allow transparent and consistent data exchange across collaborating organisations.
• establish mapping data standards that will allow GPS modules to collect data in appropriate form and allow the rapid compilation of specific information for area freedom and other market access issues.

Who will be the end-users of this research?

The outputs will be used by federal and state agencies involved in on-ground quarantine (AQIS, QDPI&F, NSWDPI, DPIVIC, TASDPIW, SARDI, DAFWA, NTDPISM). It will also be used by consultants working within the plant industries who have reporting responsibilities. All developed software will be BIOSIRT compliant and will interface with a National Plant Surveillance Reporting Tool (under development) or the staging databases in the state agencies.