TSIRC Honoured with 2025 Australian Biosecurity Award for Excellence in Biosecurity
The Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) has been recognised nationally for its leadership in protecting Australia’s northernmost biosecurity frontier, receiving the 2025 Australian Biosecurity Award – First Nations Award for Excellence in Biosecurity.
The award was presented on the 5 November at the Australian Biosecurity Awards ceremony in Canberra, acknowledging TSIRC’s strong community-led approach to protecting Country, culture and people across the Torres Strait.
Council was nominated by Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities (AMRRIC), in recognition of their close collaboration to strengthen animal health, surveillance and education in the region.
Accepting the award on behalf of TSIRC, Executive Director of Community Services, Dawson Sailor, said the recognition was a collective achievement for all Torres Strait communities:
“This recognition belongs to all the Elders in our 15 communities and to all our Indigenous Environmental Health Workers. Our region is unique and sensitive, and our approach is simple but powerful: we combine cultural knowledge with science to keep our islands and all of Australia safe from biosecurity threats.”
As the largest Indigenous council in Australia, TSIRC represents 15 island communities spread across more than 42,000 square kilometres of sea and land. Due to its proximity to Papua New Guinea, the Torres Strait plays a vital role in protecting Australia from exotic pests, diseases and other biosecurity risks.
TSIRC’s biosecurity and environmental health programs are designed and delivered by local Indigenous staff, ensuring both cultural authority and practical expertise. The Indigenous Environmental Health Workers act as the frontline of biosecurity in every island community, monitoring for threats, managing pests and weeds, supporting animal health, and leading public awareness campaigns.
Partnerships are central to this success. TSIRC works closely with AMRRIC, Biosecurity Queensland, Queensland Health, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to deliver projects such as exotic fruit fly surveillance, invasive weed control and companion animal management.
“We accept this award with pride, but also with responsibility,” Dawson Sailor added. “It’s time we walk together, community and government, to build a strong future for our pikinini.”
Mayor Phillemon Mosby praised the achievement as a milestone for Indigenous leadership in national biosecurity.
“This award reflects the strength, wisdom, and collaboration of our communities,” Mayor Mosby said. “Our people have always cared for Country, and this award proves that when we combine cultural knowledge with strong partnerships, we achieve powerful results. We are honoured to receive this national recognition of excellence, which highlights the Torres Strait’s essential role in protecting Australia’s environment.”
TSIRC remains committed to building local capacity, embedding Indigenous knowledge in biosecurity policy, and ensuring the Torres Strait remains a safe, healthy region for our people.
