Workshop 1: Mapping Current Opportunities and Regulatory Hurdles

Workshop 1 – held at the ANU Agrifood Hub in Canberra - served as the foundational step of the series. Its purpose was to establish a shared understanding of what constitutes biocontrol under Australian legislation; surface the regulatory, technical, economic and behavioural factors influencing product development and adoption; and clarify where uncertainty or friction exists within Australia’s enabling systems. This scene-setting role was intended to inform subsequent workshops by ensuring all participants begin with a consistent scope, language and evidence base. Workshop 1 was designed to: 

• Clarify scope and definitions by outlining the biocontrol products and technologies regulated by the APVMA, including emerging and dual-impact categories, to ensure participants share a consistent reference point. 
• Map the current landscape by identifying the regulatory, technical, economic and assessment and adoption of biological products in Australia. 
• Highlight system bottlenecks such as uncertainties in data expectations, challenges associated with efficacy trial design, biosecurity and import steps, and limitations in local formulation or manufacturing capacity.
• Identify priority issues for deeper analysis in Workshops 2 and 3, providing the evidence base required for discussions on international alignment, regulatory improvement and capability building.