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[Music playing]
(Narrator) Historically,
strong quarantine measures and geographic isolation,
coupled with world-class research,
have protected Australia from some of the most serious impacts posed
by exotic pests and diseases that are circulating around the world.
But our enviable biosecurity status is increasingly
threatened by growing connections to the world
through global trade,
the movement of plants, animals and people across the globe
and by the uncertain impacts of climate change.
We no longer have the luxury of relative isolation
as we face an unpredictable
and interconnected biosecurity environment.
Biosecurity is about the management of risks to our health,
economy, industries and environment,
from pests and pathogens entering, spreading or
establishing in Australian waters or on our soil.
Through a proud history of biosecurity research,
CSIRO has made a significant contribution
to Australia’s biosecurity status.
We’ve diagnosed devastating pests and pathogens in plants and animals
and responded quickly to limit negative impacts during emergencies.
Designed integrated strategies to manage invasive pests in agriculture.
Developed and evaluated important vaccines and therapeutics,
and delivered biological control for invasive animals
and many exotic weeds
that are found in production landscapes and the wider environment.
The CSIRO Biosecurity Flagship
builds on these successes, bringing scale
and connectivity to help Australia prevent,
prepare for and respond to the spread and impacts of pests and diseases.
We’re achieving this by working across the biosecurity continuum –
investigating risks offshore,
at the border, and monitoring what is happening in our own backyard.
And we’re exploring social sciences and smart technologies
for detection, surveillance, response and diagnosis.
In the last 20 years
a staggering 70% of emerging infectious diseases in people
have been found to have originated in animals.
We’re taking an integrated approach across human and animal health,
ecology and environmental science commonly - called One Health.
To understand how these viruses spread between wild animals,
livestock and people,
and how to reduce the risks,
or be prepared for rapid response in a human pandemic situation.
Our expertise places us in a leading position
to investigate major biosecurity issues now and in the future.
We care about high quality science that delivers impact for Australia.
And by continuing to partner with government,
industry, universities and other international agencies
we can make a difference and protect the health of our people,
economy, industries and environment from biosecurity threats.
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