Alex Davern, Agriculture Victoria Biosecurity Officer

Twelve months on from completing his Authorised Officer (AO) training as part of his role as a Biosecurity Officer with Agriculture Victoria, Alex Davern continues to be surprised with the wide variety of work he has been involved in.

Alex is based in Geelong but with COVID-19 restrictions he has largely been working from home.

"Given the circumstances the team has been great and I’ve received a lot of support.

"With COVID-19 rolling on (and on) and the direction to work from home, we have found new and innovative ways of working including the use of Teams for meetings and staying in contact and completing training remotely. For the majority of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been able to continue with our field work.

"There has been plenty of on-the-job training and guidance for the AO role. I’m starting to feel much more confident and competent, " he said.

As part of his training, Alex has undertaken a comprehensive training program to become an Authorised Officer. He has also completed other courses such as ?Agricultural Chemical User Permit training which is required for his role in the National Plant Health Surveillance Program which provides Victorian proof of freedom from exotics pests such as red imported fire ants and brown marmorated stink bug and enables market access.

In his role as a Biosecurity Officer, Alex provides information and advice on best practice management of invasive species such as serrated tussock and rabbits. He has been a part of several compliance programs designed to support community led action where the community is working together to control invasive species at a local level and requires enforcement support from Agriculture Victoria to protect the investment the rest of the community is making.

"I’ve also had the opportunity to work on a number of emergency responses including khapra beetle and avian influenza. I hadn’t realised the range and extent of emergency response work that staff are involved in. It’s been rewarding, and eye opening."

Alex says that as an authorised officer there are lots of processes to follow – for safety, for transparency and fairness, for consistency.

"Initially it felt a bit overwhelming, remembering all the details and procedures, but there has been a lot of support. They say there are no ‘dumb questions’ but I reckon I’ve given it a fair crack," he said.

Alex is more than happy with his decision to join Agriculture Victoria and says to anyone looking at a role with the organisation, "Go for it, it’s been a good choice for me and there are a lot of different roles and opportunities."

Find out more at agriculture.vic.gov.au