Within the national framework for biosecurity, all commonwealth and state governments and plant industries who are signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD), formally commit to preparations that include: surveillance for key biosecurity risks, a chain of command for reporting suspected security incursions, decision making processes for responding to confirmed incursions and industry recovery from confirmed incursions. Cotton Australia is the cotton industry member for Plant Health Australia Ltd and signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed.

during 2008-2013 CRDC Strategic Plan, CRDC worked with industry and state governments to implement routine surveillance for exotic diseases and commence the development of contingency planning for specific, high risk exotic incursions for industry to implement if a situation eventuated.

the Biosecurity Awareness Training project undertook to raise grower and consultant awareness of the processes that would occur in the event that a cotton biosecurity incursion is confirmed. a training workshop to achieve this was developed by Cotton Australia, Plant health Australia, NSW DPI, QLD DAFF, Australian department of Agriculture and CRDC program management.

This project funded Biosecurity awareness training delivery to 30 participants from key industry groups over three years. Participants included growers, consultants, CottonInfo RDOs, Cotton Australia Regional Managers, CRDC and Cotton Australia Program Managers. Presenters were from eight key stakeholder organisations in biosecurity; Australian Department of Agriculture, Plant Health Australia, NSW DPI, QLD DAFF, CRDC, CSIRO, Cotton Australia, and a Grains Biosecurity Officer. The workshops incorporated a site visit to the Australian Department of Agriculture Central-East Region quarantine and inspection facility, Roseberry, NSW. The in-kind participation from stakeholders and provision of meeting and inspection facilities by the Australian Department of Agriculture and Cotton Australia was a significant contribution to the project.