Have you spotted an unusual plant pest or disease?
You can report these to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline -1800 084 881.
Calls within Victoria will be diverted to Agriculture Victoria. This Hotline is answered 0800 – 1800 Monday to Friday within Victoria. Please leave a message if you phone outside of these hours. Your message will be followed up the next business day. You have the option to forward your call to the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline which is 24 hrs.
Alternatively you can complete the online form to report the suspected pest and damage, along with your contact details and the pest’s location.
Your report will be responded to by an experienced staff member. They will seek information about the detection and explain next steps. These may include a site visit and sampling to confirm the pest or disease. Questions may include:
- what was seen (describe the pest or send a photo) and when was it first noticed
- where it was found and what it was on
- how many pests are present/how infected is the crop
- how widely distributed it is.
Every report will be taken seriously, checked out and treated confidentially.
Why is reporting unusual plant pests and diseases important?
- early reporting increases the chance of effective control and eradication.
- careless use of information, particularly if a pest has not been confirmed, can result in extreme stress for individuals and communities, and possibly damaging and unwarranted trade restrictions.
Important – do not move suspect material
Suspect material should not generally be moved or collected without seeking advice from the relevant state or territory department, as incorrect handling of samples could spread the pest or render the samples unsuitable for diagnostic purposes. Agriculture Victoria will usually be responsible for sampling and identification of pests.
Further Information
Plant Health Australia has a list of State contacts for the Exotic plant pest hotline.
Agriculture Victoria has many web pages on biosecurity in Victoria including plant diseases, pest insects and mites, and regulations and guidelines for minimising risk of pests and diseases.