Quarantine Top Watch!
Quarantine Top Watch! is the national public awareness campaign of the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS). It is designed to:
- raise awareness of the importance of quarantine within key target groups in northern Australia (coastal area from Broome to Cairns including the Torres Strait), and
- encourage residents in those regions to 'keep a top watch' for exotic pests, weeds and diseases that could harm Australia's animal and plant life, and report sightings of unusual pests, weeds and diseases to AQIS.
The campaign also aims to inform residents about the important activities undertaken by NAQS in the region.
Target audience
The Quarantine Top Watch! target audience is made up of the residents in the NAQS region. These include:
- Indigenous communities
- Horticulturists
- Pastoralists
- General communities in NAQS zones
Communication mix
The Quarantine Top Watch! awareness campaign utilises the following communication methods:
- Media and publicity
- Community relations
- Advertising
- Event sponsorship
Awareness materials
The Quarantine Top Watch! awareness materials include:
- Posters
- Torres Strait quarantine laws for vessels over seven metres
- NAQs section of the AQIS Bulletin
- Relevant sections of the department's Annual Reports
- Quarantine Pocket Guide
- Quarantine Calendar