That's all folks (for the CRCNPB at least)

Since this is the final leaflet to flutter from the CRCNPB twig….

… I thought that just a touch of nostalgia might be acceptable.

It was the indefatigable Angela (not pictured, above) who reminded me that before her time (when the CRCNPB was prone to melfunctions) a celebrated precursor to The Leaflet was in existence. Biosecurity Briefs modelled, provocatively, by Simon and I ran to a rather elastic timetable from 2006 to 2008.

Whilst the copy was appropriately erudite, ‘BB’ achieved lasting fame for its daring and provocative mast-head.

Biosecurity Briefs No.1

These were, of course, less sophisticated times. There was no CRCNPB ‘Font-Fuhrer’, no ‘PowerPoint Polizei’ and, definitely, no CRC censor. Indeed, Angela commented that the ‘BB’ header would never get past the censor these days. Well, we’ll see.

Here are a few nuggets of nostalgia from the archives.

October 2006 - Chairman’s musings

Being able to call in and discuss matters with the Management team is some compensation for living in Canberra! It also serves as a reminder that the Company and the Centre are getting a lot of work out of a very small team….

[Nothing changes, really].

January 2007 - Chairman’s Musings

Happy New Year to everyone. After the pre-Christmas euphoria regarding the Supplementary Bid (well done Team CRCNPB!) it was pleasant to think about non-CRC matters, just for a little while.

[That makes three lots of euphoria altogether].

April 2007 - CEO’s Selections

I attended the AICD Company Directors Course from 7-13 March. The course was five solid days with attendees from many backgrounds. Being in Canberra there was a large presence of senior government staff with Defence and Federal Police having a large presence.

[The latter improved Simon’s network no end….]

August 2008 - From Our Territory Correspondent

Enlivened, perhaps, by the balmy tropical nights, fine wines and a surfeit of barramundi the Boards’ visit to northern climes witnessed a greater than average incidence of risky, and risqué, incidents.
Never risk averse, the Business Manager (with the Chairman) travelled with Qantas and experienced not one but two instances of the famed ‘technical difficulty’. On arrival in Darwin their aircraft was deemed unfit to return south while, on the return leg, two hours was spent in contemplation at Brisbane airport awaiting the arrival of an aircraft delayed in Townsville by the lack of a replacement rubber band (or similar) at that location.

[Following a Board meeting in Darwin].

The first of ‘The Leaflet's’ flutters down - June 2008

October 2009

A Global Summit ‘Food security in a Climate of Change’ (an interesting play on words and themes) was held in London from 19-21 October. … the challenge of food security and constraints to keeping pace with demand – including dealing with biosecurity issues - was featured, for example:

“By 2050 it is estimated that we will need to grow double the amount of food to feed the world’s people, as population growth and changing food preferences increase pressures on land and water availability. This will need to be achieved against a backdrop of climate change which will exacerbate water shortages, reduce crop yields and create new pests and disease threats”.

[We were needed then, we’re needed now and we’re going to keep on being needed].

[Which Program will handle this? ‘Secure Future’ maybe?]

August 2010

[At any rate, we can send a boat to rescue the bear].

After the frenzied activity leading up to the submission of the bid to establish a Plant Biosecurity CRC, the CRCNPB premises appeared almost tranquil. This was, of course misleading. Like the swan apparently sailing peacefully along the surface of the lake, vigorous paddling continued under water.

[Perhaps we didn’t quite understand that there were sharks to contend with….]

February 2011 - IT’S ON FOR YOUNG AND OLD…

My December ‘Leaflet’ column concluded with a reference to the Billy Ocean song ‘When the going gets tough…’ The message this time is ‘Well, we have’. Got going, that is.

[No further comment required].

November 2011

Arriving at the CRCNPB office jet-lagged on Monday morning (but fortunately not the victim of the Qantas downheaval) it became immediately obvious that no sympathy for my condition would be forthcoming from Obersturmbannführer (or ‘Senior Assault Unit Leader’) Max Knobel or her aide Leutnant Anders von Crichton of the kommunizieren kommissariat (‘KK’, for short). “You vill produce ze presentation, unt today - or ve haf vays” was the gist of the message which they conveyed.

[See previous comment re simpler, less sophisticated times].

February 2012 - CARRY ON COOPERATING

[Success! But my cartoon celebrating this cataclysmic event didn’t get past the censor.… Perhaps Angela’s ‘modesty bars’ got it past this time around…]

June 2012

So now, it’s:

And, ever compliant, we do.

Until the first Leaflet of the PBCRC....

Back to The Leaflet.