Dec 4, 2020 | News
The plant disease Myrtle Rust was detected in Australia in 2010. It has been found capable of infecting 382 native species including paperbarks, tea-trees and eucalypts. Myrtle Rust is listed under the EPBC Act as a key threatening process. Yet there is no nationally coordinated response strategy for this threat. The ANPC’s committee member Bob Makinson helped prepare the Myrtle Rust National Action Plan which provides the foundation for a coordinated national response to this disease. The plan proposes two overarching recommendations and highlights priority actions for the next 3-5 years. Click here to read the plan or head to our website for more information on Myrtle Rust including a 1 page summary of the ANPC’s work on this issue.
Dec 4, 2020 | News
The Healthy Seeds Draft Roadmap will be available to the Healthy Seeds Consortium meeting in early December with the current Draft FloraBank Guidelines. There are now 14 FloraBank modules back from review. The Roadmap provides a summary of the elements of the Healthy Seeds project, the findings of assessments on the status of the native seed sector in NSW, the issues and concerns raised in the process and the suggested direction and pathways to address these issues over time. All drafts will be available in the New Year for review, consultation and feedback. The process for dissemination, consultation and alignment with the Greening Australia Project Phoenix are in development subject to COVID status conditions and safety guidelines.
Dec 4, 2020 | News
Geoff Pegg, forest pathologist for the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries recently introduced the Fire and Rust project in a webinar. View the recording to learn how the project aims to determine the impact of myrtle rust on native plants in NSW and south east Queensland. To learn more about the project head to the ANPC webpage. Image by Geoff Pegg.
Dec 4, 2020 | News
We are excited to share a series of case studies from the Germplasm Guidelines currently being updated by the ANPC. Featured in the spring issue of Australasian Plant Conservation, these case studies capture the challenges of ex situ native plant conservation. We will be sharing these articles on social media over the coming weeks but you can read all of them here. The Germplasm Guidelines are now in the review process until March 2021. If you would like to review part of the guidelines prior to publication, please email the project manager Amelia Martyn Yenson.
Nov 2, 2020 | News
The update of the FloraBank Guidelines is progressing well, with 13 modules now back from review, one module still in review, and one module in the final stages of drafting. The next step is to address the reviews, collate the images, and finalise the drafts for layout. We anticipate that the Guidelines will be launched in the first half of 2021. Plans for workshops are on hold given current travel restrictions, but stay tuned for possible online opportunities to learn about the Guidelines. A large number of people from Australia and across the world have been involved in writing, editing and reviewing. ANPC Project Manager Lucy Commander would like to thank all those involved thus far. Please contact Lucy if you would like to have any input before the final stages of production. Thanks to the NSW Environmental Trust for funding the Healthy Seeds project, which includes the Guidelines update.
