The Great Biosecurity Quest is back!
We are asking Victorians to join the Quest and be on the lookout for the glassy-winged sharpshooter which is a serious threat to Australia’s biosecurity.
You can play your part in the Great Biosecurity Quest and become a Watchout Warrior by keeping an eye out for diseases and pests in Victoria.
We all have a part to play in protecting Victoria’s biosecurity so we can continue to spend time in the great outdoors, enjoy clean and safe food and protect the agricultural industries that provide so much for us all.
During this year’s Biosecurity Quest, you can also keep an eye out and help to protect our wildlife from H5 bird flu.
Visit our ‘Get involved’ page and join Aggie on the Aussie Bird Count to help protect our wonderful wildlife.
Get involved in the Aussie Bird CountJoin the Quest to find glassy-winged sharpshooter
As a Watchout Warrior, we need you to keep an eye out for unwanted pests and diseases when you’re out in the backyard, at parks and out in nature. This year our focus is the glassy-winged sharpshooter.
Victoria is lucky to be free from many of the world’s most damaging plant pests, including the glassy-winged sharpshooter. Exotic pests like the sharpshooter can damage our natural environment, destroy our food production and agriculture industries – and some could change our way of life. Outbreaks of plant pests and diseases are increasing due to climate change, and more people and goods coming into the state.
You can join our Quest – see the steps below, download the toolkit and come back and tell us how you went!
Don't forget, if you see a sharpshooter, or any other biosecurity pest, be sure to report it immediately.
Make a report
Download the Quest toolkit
Once you’ve completed the Quest, come back from 1 October and tell us your results – and enter for a chance to win an iTunes voucher!
All you need to do is:
- Tell us where you completed the Quest
- Did you see any glassy-winged sharpshooters (or other leafhoppers)?
Join the Great Biosecurity Quest on iNaturalist
The iNaturalist app is a great place to record what you find when you’re out in nature. Not only does it help you to identify any plants and animals you find, but you are also contributing to a global dataset to assist science and conservation.
This year for the Great Biosecurity Quest we have set up a project on iNaturalist to collect records of glassy-winged sharpshooters in Victoria. By joining the project and recording any sightings, you can contribute to knowledge about native leafhoppers, and also keep an eye out for any invasive pests, like the sharpshooter.
Come and visit Aggie!
Aggie is taking the Great Biosecurity Quest to community events across October and November 2025, and we can’t wait to connect with you all!
You will find us at the Mount Evelyn Street Party and the Maroondah Festival.
Our Watchout Warriors are making an impact
Aggie is enjoying seeing our Watchout Warriors explore and stay on the lookout for biosecurity pests and diseases. Check out the map below to see where everyone is keeping watch.
Be sure to share your postcode when you report back after your Quest!
Pest trapping activity
This year as part of the Quest we will again be asking people to sign up to our pest trapping activity – once registered, participants will be sent an insect sticky trap to put in their garden, and asked to report back with photos of the trap through the MyPestGuide app.
This activity provides great data and information to help keep Victoria free of pests and diseases.
More information to come!
In Victoria, we have a beautiful natural environment and a thriving agriculture industry, and we all have a responsibility to protect them.
Play your part in the Great Biosecurity Quest. You can become a Watchout Warrior by keeping an eye out for potential risks and together, we can work to reduce the threat of diseases and pests in Victoria.
Visit the Agriculture Victoria website to find out more.
Make a biosecurity report
Getting involved helps you learn about biosecurity threats, so you know what to report and how to report it if you ever come across one.
If you need to make a biosecurity report you can do that through our website or the emergency pest and disease hotlines.
Make a reportLooking for other ways to get involved in biosecurity and citizen science?
Visit our Get Involved page!
Get involved