On Friday 6 February 2026, PHA and the National Fruit Fly Council will farewell Stuart Burgess, Manager of the National Fruit Fly Council, following more than four years supporting Australia’s national fruit fly program.

Stuart joined PHA in November 2021, bringing extensive horticulture experience and a strong background in national coordination and industry engagement.

During his time with the Council, he strengthened collaboration across government, industry and research partners and helped maintain clear and consistent communication with stakeholders.

He played a key role in major initiatives, including the National Fruit Fly Symposium (2023) and the National Fruit Fly Strategy workshop (2025) and the Think Tank webinar series. Stuart also represented the program at national and international forums and supported ongoing updates through the Prevent Fruit Fly website.

More recently, Stuart guided the early work on the next National Fruit Fly Strategy (2026–2035) and progressed an economic analysis, to support future investment in fruit fly management.

PHA and the Council thank Stuart for his leadership, collaboration and commitment to Australia’s horticulture sector and wish him every success in his next chapter.