Brisbane, Queensland – Biosecurity Commons will move to a new home at the start of 2024 following discussions among its partners and supporters.
The management of the platform and the team will transfer from Griffith University, where it has been based since 2021, to the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA) at the University of Melbourne on 1 January 2024.
CEBRA plays a vital role in assisting Australian and New Zealand governments to remain at the forefront of practical biosecurity risk analysis by the provision of collaborative, relevant, innovative, and practical research outcomes.
It has been the lead on the project since the inception of Biosecurity Commons which makes this change a natural development and the move provides an exciting opportunity to leverage CEBRA’s world-leading biosecurity expertise.
The project has been able to continue thanks to the bridging funding provided by the NCRIS supported Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), while funding from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry will allow the existing functionality to be piloted in 2024.
What does this mean for users?
There will be no change to services for Biosecurity Commons users and you will be able to continue using the platform in 2024.
User support and communications will be limited during the Christmas holiday period (22 December – 2 January).
What happens next?
Biosecurity Commons will continue to grow and develop new features, based on feedback, for its expanding community of users.
Excitingly, a new workflow called ‘Resource Allocation’ will be moving onto the platform in the new year. It will use optimisation or simulations to estimate how long it will take and how much it will cost to eradicate or control a pest or weed.
Dr James Camac, Chief Investigator at CEBRA and the new Biosecurity Commons Project Manager, said: “I look forward to leading Biosecurity Commons through this next phase. Biosecurity Commons will usher in a new era of scientifically robust biosecurity policy and management and will be a critical tool for upskilling both regional partners and the next generation of biosecurity practitioners.”
Dr Rob Clemens, Biosecurity Commons Project Manager, said: “I feel very lucky to have been involved with Biosecurity Commons. It’s an incredible project with an incredible team and it has a very bright future under the management of CEBRA.”
Further information
If you have any questions, please reach out to contact@biosecuritycommons.org.au.
