Our new Fire Ant Program Officer, Brendan Roe, has wasted no time getting out on the ground, connecting directly with members across Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast.
Brendan recently joined GIQ as part of our Fire Ant Ready Program, bringing strong horticultural and biosecurity experience, along with a practical track record working with growers to improve their compliance systems.
Importantly, this role was created in direct response to member feedback. Last year, industry called for more practical, on-the-ground support – not just enforcement. Brendan’s role is focused on delivering exactly that: making compliance simpler, clearer, and less stressful through workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and practical tools to support monitoring, treatment records and audits.
Over the past few days, Brendan has visited a number of nurseries, gaining valuable firsthand insights into the opportunities and challenges currently facing our industry.
Reflecting on his visits, Brendan shared:
“I’ve had a great couple of days meeting with some of our members across the Gold Coast, southern Brisbane, and Sunshine Coast branches. It was fantastic to be welcomed by the nurseries and to hear them share their individual situations.
There is a real wealth of knowledge within our membership, and continuing to build strong rapport is already creating a valuable flow of insights and information.
Several important (and at times challenging) points were raised by a number of nurseries, particularly around:
These themes are clearly front of mind for members and would benefit from further clarification and consistency moving forward.”
These early conversations highlight the importance of ongoing engagement between industry and program stakeholders. Brendan’s role as Fire Ant Program Officer will be key in ensuring member voices are heard and represented as the program continues to evolve.
Want to learn more about the Fire Ant Ready Program or book a visit with Brendan?
Visit our Fire Ant Ready Program page to find out more.
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