Hello from Inca Pearce
As another vintage nears completion, we’re continuing to gather momentum at Vinehealth Australia to ensure we’re delivering the tools you need to keep your vineyards safe.
We’re also working hard behind the scenes to ensure your voice is heard at the national table when it comes to discussions about biosecurity research and investment. I’ve delivered three speeches in the past three weeks, the first a talk at Parliament House in Canberra about the need for continued investment in wine industry biosecurity research, to protect our valuable vines against pest and disease incursions. This meeting was part of planning for the future in plant biosecurity research. See the article below for more on that.
The second speech was to the national Subcommittee on Domestic Quarantine and Market Access where I outlined our new Winegrape Biosecurity Quarantine Legislation Tool, which we developed in response to industry need to easily check the legal requirements of moving phylloxera vectors between and within states. This tool was enthusiastically supported by every state regulator in the room.
The final talk last week was to a roundtable of leaders of the national biosecurity sector. I outlined the issues we in the wine industry face in relation to farm-gate hygiene compliance, state plant quarantine standards and all sorts of other topics that keep me awake at night!
It’s been a year since I started as CEO of Vinehealth Australia and it’s been an intense but enjoyable ride. After an initial and necessary focus on stabilizing the ship, we’ve now ramped up activity to ensure we’re doing our job – safeguarding the South Australian wine industry.
As always, we welcome your input and feedback.
Inca Pearce
CEO Vinehealth Australia
P.S. The 2015-16 Annual Report is now available – click here to read it.
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