This funding supported a workshop aimed to build industry capacity to respond to a biosecurity incursion. A gap analysis for cotton boll weevils was used. Participants worked through the process of an incursion and eradication, with Plant Health Australia (PHA) facilitating the scenario. The activity was delivered as a one-day workshop format where participants from the cotton industry – from growers, to Cotton Australia, CottonInfo staff and government stakeholders – were presented with a fictitious scenario of a cotton boll weevil detection in the Emerald cotton production region and worked through the process of how the pest would be responded to under national arrangements (i.e. the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed).

• increasing understanding of national Emergency Plant Pest responses

• understanding the industry pest reporting pathways and drivers following the detection

of a suspect Emergency Plant Pest

• delivering effective communication to the cotton industry during a response while meeting confidentiality requirements

• preliminary analysis of available response strategies to eradicate cotton boll weevil.

• Identification of further gaps in preparedness