TR4 Steering Committee: End-of-Year Summary 2025

Written By Panama TR4

As we closed out 2025, we want to acknowledge the important role the TR4 Steering Committee has played behind the scenes—driving the strategic discussions that guide the Grower Support (Biosecurity) Program and ensuring growers remain front-of-mind. These conversations shape the Program’s direction and provide the clarity needed for decisions to progress to the ABGC Board for final endorsement.

Steering Committee Membership: 

The Steering Committee brings together senior executives from ABGC, Biosecurity Queensland and Plant Health Australia, ensuring the Program is guided by high-level expertise, strong governance and a clear focus on grower outcomes.

  • Chairperson and Member: CEO of ABGC

  • Deputy Chairperson and Member: Chief Plant Health Manager and General Manager, Plant Biosecurity and Product Integrity, Biosecurity Queensland (BQ)

  • Member: CEO of Plant Health Australia (PHA)

  • Participants: Growers Support (Biosecurity) Program Manager (ABGC) and Manager of Policy, Plant Biosecurity & Product Integrity (BQ), with additional participants added as required.

In 2025, the Committee has helped guide several significant achievements, including:

  • Execution of the Service Level Deed (SLD) (March 2025) – establishing the framework for how ABGC and BQ work together.

  • Appointment of ABGC staff as Authorised Officers under the Biosecurity Act 2014 (March 2025) – supporting a clear approach for surveillance and sampling for Panama TR4.

  • Execution of the Cost Sharing Deed (June 2025) – to establish joint funding for Panama TR4 diagnostic services.

  • Delivery of the Escalation Policy & Procedure (July 2025) – strengthening transparency and response pathways across the program.

  • Approval of alternative land use for two TR4 properties (August 2025) – enabling sugarcane production under strict mitigation measures.

These milestones reflect a year of stability, sustained collaboration and tangible progress across the Program.

As we move into 2026, collaboration between BQ, PHA and ABGC will continue, ensuring the Program remains robust and continues to deliver practical, on-farm benefits for growers.

Panama TR4
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End-of-year Wrap