The Finocchiaro and Albanese Governments are bolstering the Territory's biosecurity preparedness with the launch of BERT, the Biosecurity Emergency Response Trailer.
BERT is a critical and timely addition to the NT's frontline biosecurity capabilities, ensuring a rapid and effective response to exotic animal and plant disease threats.
Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins MP said BERT was part of a broader national effort to strengthen biosecurity resilience across northern Australia.
Minister Collins said the Albanese Labor Government had been delivering for Australian farmers and producers by strengthening biosecurity and investing more than $1 billion in new funding.
"Protecting Australia from animal, plant, and aquatic pests and diseases is crucial to maintaining the integrity of our agricultural industries and natural environments," she said.
"This new biosecurity response unit will boost our capacity to respond to potential threats and ensure the NT remains at the forefront of national biosecurity preparedness."
Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Gerard Maley said the new response trailer will strengthen efforts to protect the Territory's vital agribusiness sector, which contributes $1.3 billion annually to the economy.
"The Territory's agricultural sector is crucial to rebuilding and growing our economy, and biosecurity is essential to safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers, graziers, and exporters," said Mr Maley.
"This new mobile unit will enable biosecurity officers to rapidly respond to potential threats, and quickly diagnose diseases like Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Lumpy Skin Disease."
BERT is a custom-designed, stand-alone response trailer, built to operate in regional, rural and remote areas of the NT, and is designed to provide a rapid biosecurity emergency response.
It provides essential equipment for biosecurity officers responding to suspected incursions, allowing them to collect samples and conduct diagnostic testing in the field, and minimise the risk of disease spread.
BERT was funded through the Northern Australian Biosecurity Strategy (NABS), by the Commonwealth Government, to build capacity across government, industry, and Indigenous stakeholders to manage biosecurity risks.
Programs under NABS continue to drive improvements in biosecurity infrastructure and emergency response capability, helping to future-proof Australia's defences against emerging threats.
Biosecurity is everyone's responsibility-if you see unusual pests or signs of disease in plants or animals, report it to the Biosecurity Hotline on 1800 675 888.
