News & Updates

  Peel-Harvey landholders are being asked to collect rabbit blood samples this summer, after new evidence suggests most local rabbits may now be immune to a key biocontrol tool, calicivirus. Testing by the Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group (PHBG) earlier this year found that two-thirds of sampled rabbits carried antibodies to one or both strains of calicivirus. That means a broad release of the virus would likely have little effect on rabbit numbers. PHBG Executive Officer Teele Hooper-Worrell said the group now needs a much larger pool of samples to identify where the virus could still make a difference when released late this summer. “Each year we plan staged calicivirus releases across the Peel-Harvey region,” she said. “The study we did last summer was small but showed high resistance levels. To achieve the most effective impact this season, we need more samples from more properties.” PHBG is calling on local shooters, whether landholders or professionals, to pick up a free ‘shoot...

Local not-for-profit Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group, has been awarded the 2025 Australian Biosecurity Award - Community. The awards, issued by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, recognise and celebrate those who have shown a commitment to supporting and promoting Australia’s biosecurity and the systems that underpin it.  PHBG Executive Officer Teele Hooper-Worrell said she was proud of what the team had accomplished. “We’re a small team and our operational area is fairly unique - it’s heavily populated and has the full mix of properties, from rural to peri-urban to urban, from inland farms and lifestyle properties to smaller coastal blocks. It can be quite challenging to make sure we can stay in touch with, and deliver our services to, such a diverse community. This award recognises the impact our group has delivered since incorporation in 2014.” One of 14 recognised biosecurity groups in WA, PHBG helps landholders in their operational area...

As of 14 November, a new Quarantine Area is in effect to help contain the PSHB. The entire Perth metropolitan area will be under quarantine to minimise the spread of the beetle, divided into an 'inner management zone' and an outer 'containment' zone.  For more information, see our PSHB page or the department's media release .

Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group is delighted to invite industry professionals to a three-day course that will explore effective communication with the broader public.  Control and management of declared pests is becoming increasingly difficult and complex. Increasing urbanisation and decreasing acceptance of lethal control methods is putting pressure on public land managers to protect the community from the effects of declared pests, while reducing the options they have to do so.  The effects of declared pests are wide-ranging, affecting those who live in both urban and rural environments. Declared pest control is no longer solely the remit of rural communities - in fact, the majority of declared pest queries and reports received by PHBG come from urban and peri-urban areas.  Effective engagement with the members of the community allows firm, clear messages to be shared and understood despite the diverse concerns of landholders. Productive conversations about ethics and ani...

  From 16 October to 16 November 2025, Western Australians are invited to become citizen scientists during Biosecurity Blitz 2025 , an annual community campaign run by the Department of Primary Industries and Resource Development to spot unusual pests and protect our farms, environment and trade.  Now in its 10th year, the Blitz encourages people across WA, whether gardeners, landholders, students, or curious locals, to observe, learn, and report organisms in their backyards, bushland, paddocks or waterways. Participants can upload photos, geo-locations and descriptions of plants, animals, insects, aquatic pests or diseases through the MyPestGuide® Reporter app . Even “nothing to see” reports are valuable: confirming the absence of pests helps biosecurity experts get a clearer picture of where risks are (and aren’t).  Why we love the Biosecurity Blitz As the Recognised Biosecurity Group (RBG) for the Peel–Harvey region, Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group (PHBG) supports landh...

Western Australia faces a growing threat from feral pigs, and a free upcoming workshop will help landholders rein in this destructive and expensive pest.  Feral pigs cost Australia more than $100 million a year in animal predation and environmental damage across all kinds of landscapes. The animals aren’t just a rural problem. Their rooting and wallowing erode soil, pollute waterways, and damage riverbanks. An opportunistic omnivore, feral pigs will also hunt, kill and eat small or vulnerable animals, which only compounds the threat they pose to pets, livestock and landscapes through disease.  Local not-for-profit Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group (PHBG) is urging private landholders to take part in coordinated control efforts to help curb the population. The group is inviting landholders to a free workshop on October 16 that will cover best-practice control techniques and practical, on-ground management. “Pigs can breed prolifically, meaning that ad hoc shooting as a control meth...

Bookings are now open for Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group’s popular school holiday programs as part of the Pesky Pests initiative— an informative, fun and interactive experience for children as they get hands-on with the science of biosecurity.  Offered free of charge to community organisations in the City of Mandurah, Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, Shire of Harvey, Shire of Waroona, and Shire of Murray, the programs run for sixty to ninety minutes and are tailored for a wide age range.  During school holiday programs, kids will explore the native animals and invasive pests found in the Peel-Harvey region, get involved in hands-on activities, and learn about the importance of pest management, ecology, and biosecurity in their local environment in an age-appropriate way.  The parents of past participants have given this locally developed program rave reviews, with one saying, “A brilliant, informative session. Engaging for a lot of age groups and very well explained to youn...