Tocal College has partnered with Animal Health Australia (AHA) since 2005, and Plant Health Australia (PHA) from 2015, to deliver nationally accredited training for biosecurity emergency response personnel. This highly successful partnership is being concluded in June 2023 and Tocal is no longer able  to take new enrolments.

BERTA logo

Biosecurity Emergency Response Training Australia (BERTA) is an initiative that enables a national and consistent approach to all areas of biosecurity emergency response training. The accredited biosecurity training course materials are hosted by Tocal College (RTO No. 91166), and the training is delivered within jurisdictions by trainers that have undergone Tocal's approval process. BERTA has been developed, and is delivered, in cooperation with the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, Animal Health Australia (AHA) and Plant Health Australia (PHA).

The trainers and Training Coordinators in each jurisdiction are responsible for deciding which skill sets, units of competency and qualifications will be offered to staff in their jurisdiction.

There are four (4) components to the BERTA programs:

  1. The entry requirements
  2. The online modules
  3. The face-to-face workshops
  4. Further training.

Biosecurity emergency response skill sets

The eight (8) biosecurity emergency response skill sets are designed to equip personnel with the appropriate knowledge and skills to competently perform one or more roles in a biosecurity response and can be made available as stand alone courses. They also build towards the qualifications for biosecurity emergency responders, team leaders and managers, should individuals wish complete further study and gain a full qualification. The skill sets are as follows:

  1. Biosecurity Emergency Responder
  2. Biosecurity Emergency Response Leader
  3. Biosecurity Emergency Response Manager
  4. Biosecurity Field Surveillance
  5. Biosecurity Movement Control
  6. Biosecurity Infected Premises Operations
  7. Biosecurity Infected Premises Supervision
  8. Biosecurity Response Public Information Management.

What are the full qualifications?

The biosecurity response qualifications provide a comprehensive pathway for biosecurity emergency response personnel at the following levels: