NAQS target pests, diseases and weeds

​​The Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) list of target pests, diseases and weeds includes, but is not limited to:

Plant Pests

• Exotic fruit flies
• Mango pulp weevil
• Sugarcane stem-borers
• Asian citrus psyllid
• Citrus fruit-borers

Weeds

• Sour grass
• Mile-a-minute weed
• Limnocharis
• Siam weed
• Spiked pepper

Plant Diseases

• Citrus canker
• Huanglongbing
• Fusarium wilt
• Lethal diseases of coconut
• Black sigatoka

Animal Pests

• Old-world screw-worm fly

Animal Diseases

• Rabies
• Classical swine fever
• Foot and mouth disease
• Surra
• Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome
• Nipah virus
• Newcastle disease
• Avian influenza or bird flu

The NAQS target list

The NAQS surveillance program targets insect pests, diseases and weeds that are:

• considered serious threats to Australia’s agricultural productivity, export markets or the environment; and
• have potential to enter Australia from Timor Leste, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea or other locations via northern Australia by non-conventional pathways (for example, wind-borne or unregulated human-assisted pathways).

Target species are reviewed regularly to ensure NAQS surveillance is risk-based and aligned to national animal and plant health priorities.

How are target species decided?

Species included on the NAQS target list usually meet the following criteria:

1. Probability of entry

There is a reasonable probability of entry of a pest, disease or weed into northern Australia. These include:

• whether the organism is known to be present in locations near to northern Australia
• the method of spread and number of viable arrival pathways to the risk zone (natural or non-conventional transmission or dispersion must be possible)
• known history of international spread and biosecurity concern.

2. Probability of establishment

There is a significant probability of establishment if a pest or disease enters northern Australia. These include:

• the availability of suitable hosts/habitat
• the ecology of the pest, disease or weed
• the likelihood of survival
• cultural practices and control measures likely to impact establishment.

3. Probability of spread after establishment

There should be consider​able likelihood of spread after establishment in and beyond northern Australia. This is determined after considering the following :

• suit​ability of the overall environment for natural spread and hosts
• presence of natural barriers to dispersion
• potential for movement outside of the NAQS surveillance zone via trade, people or natural transmission
• potential vectors of the pest in northern Australia
• potential predators or bio-control species of the particular pest.

4. Potential significant adverse impact

The pest, disease or weed must have the potential to cause a significant impact to:

• agriculture
• the environment, or
• the Australian public.

Details regarding a comprehensive list of NAQS target species may be obtained by contacting NAQS.

5. Publications

Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy: Weeds Target List. 3rd edition. ABARES - Brown, L., Johnson H. and Raphael, B. (2008).​