Enhancing Australia’s environmental biosecurity is the responsibility of the Australian Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer (ACEBO).
On this page, learn how the ACEBO is working to improve environmental biosecurity outcomes.
Australian Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer
The ACEBO is responsible for improving Australia's capacity to manage environmental biosecurity risks. They provide national strategic direction and policy advice on environmental biosecurity issues.
The ACEBO is the point of contact for national reporting of environmental pests, diseases and weeds under the National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement (NEBRA). They ensure clear Commonwealth leadership during environmental responses.
Dr Bertie Hennecke
Dr Hennecke was appointed as the Australian Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer in February 2023. Dr Hennecke joined the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in 2010. He previously held senior leadership roles in the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) and in several of the department’s plant biosecurity areas.
Dr Hennecke’s background is in natural resource management, invasive species, and agricultural sciences. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the public service and academia in Australia. He holds a PhD in Botany and a Master of International Agriculture.
History of the ACEBO
In 2012, Commonwealth and mainland state and territory governments signed an agreement to work together to create a more effective biosecurity system. This was known as the Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity (IGAB). This led to the establishment of the National Biosecurity Committee and the National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement (NEBRA).
There was an independent review of the agreement in 2017. The review recommended a greater focus on environmental biosecurity. The ACEBO role was established to help protect Australia’s environment and way of life from exotic pests and diseases.
Environment Biosecurity Office
The department’s Environmental Biosecurity Office (EBO) supports ACEBO in strengthening Australia’s biosecurity system. The office works across 3 priority areas.
Preparedness and response
EBO helps prepare for incursions of exotic environmental pests by analysing global trends and prioritising risks. We provide advice on Australia’s preparedness efforts and manage the Exotic Environmental Pest List, which assists with our preparedness and response activities.
Coordination, education and engagement
The office raises awareness of the importance of environmental biosecurity through webinars and other engagement activities. We work in partnership with governments and environmental groups through committees and forums. We coordinate and fund management activities for high priority established pest animals. Our programs support communities to develop better solutions to combat pest animals and weeds. We work in partnership with First Nations peoples.
Research and innovation
We look for new ways of working that improve Australia’s environmental biosecurity system. To ensure our decisions are based on the best available science, we partner with the nation’s leading research organisations. Through our Environmental Biosecurity Project Fund we are investing in innovation that builds capability within the biosecurity system.
Key activities
Current projects and programs include:
Environmental Biosecurity Project Fund
The Environmental Biosecurity Project Fund (EBPF) supports research, innovation and public education projects that help protect Australia from exotic environmental pests, weeds and diseases.
The Exotic Environmental Pest List
The Exotic Environmental Pest List contains 168 pest species that could cause significant environmental damage if they were to establish in Australia.
National Carp Biocontrol Program
Work is underway to assess the potential to use the carp virus to control carp in Australia.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza preparation
The Environmental Biosecurity Office supports the National HPAI Preparedness Taskforce to assist with preparing for the possible arrival of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
Latest ACEBO news
Keep up to date with the latest news from the ACEBO with the Three Chiefs Newsletter.