AQIS's Post Entry Plant Quarantine (PEPQ) team at Knoxfield has been awarded with the 2009 Nursery and Garden Industry Australia Supplier Award, at a special awards ceremony. This is on the back of winning the State 2009 Nursery and Garden Industry of Victoria (NGIV) Award for the Supplier of the Year earlier in 2009.

The plant quarantine centre at Knoxfield is the only government post-entry quarantine facility for high risk plants in Victoria.

The state and national awards are significant as they are the first ever received by an AQIS plant quarantine centre. The awards are testament to the strong relationship that staff within the facility have built with the horticulture industry and the high regard in which it is held by the industry. The safe but efficient facilitation of plant material through the quarantine facility provides industry with confidence that imported plant material will be free of the dangers of exotic pests and diseases, protecting our markets and export industries.

The Knoxfield centre has been an accredited facility with NIASA (Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia) for more than a decade.

The AQIS team members are Kimberley Thomas, Zoee Maddox, Kirsty McDermid, Ray Ward, Robin Eichner and Mark Whattam. In addition, the Horticultural team members have recently each been awarded Certified Nursery Professional (CNP) status. CNP members are recognised for their professional integrity, knowledge and skills to provide superior services to consumers and the horticultural industry.

According to centre manager Kimberley Thomas, through the detection of plant diseases AQIS provides invaluable protection to the Australian horticultural and agricultural industries worth 32 billion dollars annually.

'The Plant Quarantine Centre also educates importers and promotes the safe entry of plant germplasm into Australia.'

Nursery and Garden Industry Australia is continuing to provide an important source of inspiration and encouragement, by showcasing the extraordinary capabilities of individuals and businesses within the industry.

Nursery and Garden Industry President, Robert Prince, said, 'The future of the Australian nursery and garden industry is in great hands if the range and quality of award entries are any indication.'