Report a tree pest or disease in Australia: the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline and state agencies

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It sets out how Plant Health Australia and the Western Australia agriculture department describe reporting a suspected tree pest or disease, with the date each page shows where it shows one. For the wider country-by-country picture see tree pests and diseases.

Who takes the report

Plant Health Australia says on its reporting suspect pests page that any unusual plant pest or disease should be reported immediately to the relevant state or territory agriculture agency through the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline, 1800 084 881. The call goes to an automated menu where the caller picks the state or territory, and then to that jurisdiction's authority. The page shows no date. It lists the state and territory lines below.

State or territory	Phone as the page gives it	Hours the page gives	Online form on the page
New South Wales	1800 084 881 or +61 2 9741 4790	08:30 to 16:30, Monday to Friday	Yes
Northern Territory	+61 8 8999 2118 or 0460 037 376	08:00 to 16:30, Monday to Friday	Not listed
Queensland	13 25 23	08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, with 09:00 to 17:00 on Thursday	Not listed
South Australia	1300 666 010 or 08 8207 7820	08:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday	Yes
Tasmania	1300 368 550	24 hours, 7 days	Not listed
Victoria	136 186	08:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, and 10:00 to 18:00 on weekends and public holidays	Yes, with photos where possible
Western Australia	+61 8 9368 3080 or +61 8 9934 1800	08:30 to 16:30, Monday to Friday	Not listed

The page lists no Australian Capital Territory line. Several entries say that outside those hours a message is taken and followed up, in some cases by a third party that arranges a response from a biosecurity officer.

What the agency asks the reporter to include

Plant Health Australia says the person who answers will ask what was seen, with a description or a photo, and when it was first noticed. They will also ask where it was found and what it was on, how many pests are present or how infected the crop is, and how widely distributed it is. The page says every report is taken seriously and treated confidentially. It also says suspect material should generally not be moved, and samples should generally not be collected, without advice from the state or territory department, because incorrect handling could spread the pest or spoil the sample.

Western Australia and the shot-hole borer

The Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, called DPIRD, runs a page on polyphagous shot-hole borer, updated November 12, 2025. It says the borer is a declared pest in that state and a prohibited organism under section 12 of the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007, and that any person who finds or suspects it must report it to the department. The page names two routes: the MyPestGuide Reporter app, or the Pest and Disease Information Service on 08 9368 3080. It asks that a ballpoint pen or ruler be included in photos of bore holes to help judge size.

Pests the agency names

Plant Health Australia describes Xylella as one of Australia's highest-priority exotic plant pests. The Australian National Botanic Gardens page on myrtle rust says suspected myrtle rust is reported to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881. What DPIRD lists for tools, chips and wood movement is in the biosecurity table by pest.