David has worked as Senior Forest Biosecurity Officer with Agriculture Victoria within the

Chief Plant Health Officer Unit and as Honorary Research Fellow with the University of Melbourne.

David has experience in investigating the biology and control or amelioration of biotic and abiotic agents that threaten the productive capacity of softwood and hardwood plantations and nurseries, the productivity and ecology of native forests, and the control and monitoring of endemic and exotic pests and pathogens in farm forestry and urban forest landscapes.

He has designed, established and delivered of forest health monitoring and surveillance programs for plantation companies and state and local governments. He was involved in the eradication program for an exotic pine nematode, and in ongoing eradication or containment/transition to management programs for chestnut blight, palm fusarium wilt, myrtle rust and Giant pine scale in Victoria. He has provided technical advice to local, state and federal governments, along with National Forest Health and Biosecurity

Committee (which includes Urban Forests), and the Victorian Committee for

Amenity Tree Health, on endemic and exotic pests and pathogens of trees and

wood products.