Reference Standard No. 1 for Technical Reference Guides
The Subcommittee on National Plant Health Surveillance has endorsed and published SNPHS Reference Standard No. 1, Version 25: Development and Approval of Technical Reference Guides for Plant Pest Surveillance. Endorsed in July 2026, the new standard provides a nationally consistent framework for developing and maintaining evidence-based Technical Reference Guides that support plant health surveillance across Australia.
Version 25 represents a significant evolution of the previous versions and introduces a new Technical Reference Guide framework. Technical Reference Guides for specific plant pests or pest groups are designed to provide practical evidence-based and technical guidance to support surveillance planning and implementation, helping jurisdictions and surveillance programs select appropriate methods for early detection, delimiting and monitoring. They may also support surveillance activities undertaken by industry, academia and research organisations.
Key improvements include:
- a clearer, multi-phase process for the initiation, quality assurance, technical review, endorsement, publication and maintenance of Technical Reference Guides
- defined responsibilities for authors, subject matter experts, the Technical Reference Guide Working Group and the Subcommittee on National Plant Health Surveillance
- a standardised template with clearer mandatory content and referencing requirements
- consistent surveillance categories covering visual surveillance, trapping and sampling, with provision for other methods or support tools
- stronger guidance on evaluating the performance, advantages and limitations of surveillance methods
- improved integration with National Diagnostic Protocols, the Pest Record Specification and pest-specific Data Protocols
- expanded guidance on sample handling, legislative obligations, chain of custody, personal protective equipment, safety and decontamination
- a five-year review cycle, supported by earlier reviews where changes in science, technology, pest risk, diagnostics or policy require an update.
The new standard clearly distinguishes a Technical Reference Guide from a surveillance plan. A guide provides the scientific and technical foundation for surveillance, while a surveillance plan applies that guidance to a specific location, objective, timeframe and operational setting.
Version 25 will support the development of clearer, more rigorous and operationally useful Technical Reference Guides, strengthening coordination and consistency across Australia’s plant health surveillance system. The standard is scheduled for review by July 2031.
View the current list of Technical Reference Guides (previously known as National Surveillance Protocols)
