The National Fruit Fly Council (NFFC) is pleased to announce the creation of a new Research Working Group (RWG). The RWG is responsible for identifying and recommending high-level research priorities to facilitate the implementation of the National Fruit Fly Strategy (NFFS).

The RWG will identify key strategies to enable the implementation of research priorities aligned with the NFFS and consider prior related research, development and extension work. The information will assist in identifying emerging research opportunities and determining the need for further research development.

The RWG’s priorities will be developed through an iterative and ongoing engagement model with input from a variety of stakeholders across the national fruit fly system including, but not limited to, other NFFC Working or Task Groups, research agencies and delivery partners, fruit fly related research program governance groups (eg. FASTA), industry, and government. These research priorities will provide the NFFC with strategic advice in relation to NFFS implementation and prioritising research investment opportunities.

Key outputs that the RWG will be involved in include the development and implementation of:

• NFFS RD&E Plan 2026-35
• NFFS three-year rolling Operational Plan
• NFFS Annual Priorities (gap analysis).

The RWG members are:

• Prof Phil Taylor (Macquarie University)
• Dr Penny Measham (FASTA Director)
• Dr Greg Chandler (Hort Innovation)
• Prof Markus Riegler (Western Sydney University)
• Dr Rieks Van Klinken (CSIRO)
• Gary Leeson (Organic Crop Protectants)
• Dr Paul Cunningham (Agriculture Victoria)
• Matt Calverley (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry)
• Dr Katharina Merkel (Department of Primary Industries and Regions, South Australia/ Australian Fruit Fly Technical Advisory Committee)
• David Daniels (Citrus Australia)
• Stu Burgess (Plant Health Australia/NFFC).

The RWG’s first formal meeting was held at Hort Innovation in Sydney on Thursday, 13 June 2024.