The Annual Diagnostics Workshops (ADWs) help improve the delivery of plant health diagnostic services.
The ADW is a forum for people involved in plant heath diagnostics to come together and share their experiences and build their professional networks. Participants all jurisdictions, private-sector laboratories, universities and other organisations attend the ADW each year.
The inaugural ADW was held in 2012 in Brisbane. Since then, the location of the ADW has alternated between Australian capital cities. The workshops are run in a two-day ‘mini conference’ format, with optional training workshops offered in the same week.
The ADWs were initiated by the Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostics (SPHD) and are now run by the NPBDN.
The workshop theme changes each year but generally include the following:
Attendance is open to all NPBDN members through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process advertised at the end of each year.
NPBDN members are invited to present a 10-minute talk (plus questions) on any topic relating to plant pest diagnostics. The call for abstracts is as part of the EOI process each year.
The National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic and Surveillance Professional Development and Protocols Projects are coordinated and delivered by Plant Health Australia and are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The objectives of the Projects are to enhance and strengthen Australia’s diagnostic and surveillance capacity and capability to identify priority plant pests that impact on plant industries, environment and the community.