Associate Professor Susie Hester

Associate Professor - UNE Business School

Susie Hester

Phone: +61 2 6773 2373

Email: shester@une.edu.au

Twitter: @smhester2

Biography

I am an applied economist and have worked almost exclusively on issues related to invasive-species management since 2002. This has largely been via my role as a Chief Investigator with the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA) at the University of Melbourne. I have been part of the CEBRA research team since 2009, work remotely from my office at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW. CEBRA assists the Australian government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) and the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries with their biosecurity risk analysis. Recent projects have involved reviewing methods and tools available for post-border surveillance and applying several of the tools to Australian biosecurity problems; investigating resource allocation problems in pest and disease management; understanding the value of passive surveillance, and incentives in biosecurity policy. As part of my biosecurity research I collaborate extensively with weed scientists, ecologists, mathematicians, veterinarians, agricultural scientists and natural resource managers.

I studied Economics (Hons) at the University of Western Australia and, after graduating, spent two years as a Research Officer with the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics in Canberra. I arrived at the University of New England’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (now UNE Business School) in 1994, as an Associate Lecturer, before commencing a PhD in 1995.

Post-PhD I had research roles in several Weeds CRC projects in the UNE Business School, before joining the Australian Centre of Excellence for biosecurity risk analysis (now CEBRA). My expertise lies in interdisciplinary research projects in biosecurity. I am particularly passionate about maximising value for money from biosecurity budgets. I see this as intimately related to efficient policy design which has led to a novel body of work on incentives in biosecurity policy. I am currently working with experts from the Centre for Market Design (UMelb) and Monash University, and with staff in DAWE to improve the ‘incentive-compatibility’ of biosecurity policies.

Qualifications

BEc (Hons) (W Aust), PhD (NE)

Awards

  • Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics (2008). Best journal paper:

      Cacho, O.J., Hester, S. and Spring, D. (2007), Applying search theory to determine the feasibility of eradicating an invasive population in natural environments. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 51: 425-443.

  • Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management (2008). Best scientific project (with O. Cacho, D. Spring and J. Sinden), Weed CRC Program 1: Weed Incursion and Risk Management, for the project 'Developing a framework to evaluate the economics of alternative strategies for the management of weed incursions.'

Teaching Areas

Biosecurity: Managing invasive species

Primary Research Area/s

Biosecurity economics; agricultural and resource economics; environmental economics; bioeconomic modelling; passive surveillance

Publications

Journal Articles

Stoneham, G., Hester, S.M., Li, J., Zhou, R. and Chaudhry, A. 2021. The boundary of the market for biosecurity risk insurance. Risk Analysis, 41(8), 1447-1462 https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.13620

Rossiter, A. and Hester S. 2017. Designing biosecurity inspection regimes to account for stakeholder incentives: An inspection game approach. Economic Record, 93, 277–301.

Hester, S. and Cacho, O. 2017. The contribution of community surveillance to invasive species management. Biological Invasions, 19(3): 737-748.

Ahchow, R., Griffith, G. and Hester, S. 2017. Biosecurity in Australia: an assessment of the current funding approach. Agribusiness Perspectives, 20, paper 8.

Sinden, J.A., Downey, P., Cacho, O. and Hester, S. 2013. Economic efficiency, site selection, and funding policies to protect native plant communities from the weed, bitou bush, in Australia, Journal of Environmental Management, 128: 1071-1080.

Burgman, M.A., McCarthy, M.A., Robinson, A., Hester, S.M., McBride, M.F., Elith, J. and Panetta, F.D. (2013) Improving decisions for invasive species management: reformulation and extensions of the Panetta-Lawes eradication graph. Diversity and Distributions, 19(5-6): 603-607.

Hester, S.M., Cacho, O.J., Panetta, F.D. and Hauser, C.E. (2013) Economic aspects of weed risk management, Diversity and Distributions, 19 (5-6): 580-589.

Hester S.M. and Cacho, O.J. 2012. Optimising search strategies in managing biological invasions: a simulation approach. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 18(1): 181-199.

Panetta, F.D., Cacho, O.J., Hester, S. and Sims-Chilton, N. Estimating and influencing the duration of weed eradication programmes. Journal of Applied Ecology, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02000.x

Hester S.M. and Cacho, O.J. In press. Optimising search strategies in managing biological invasions: a simulation approach. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment.

Cacho O.J. and Hester S.M. 2011. Deriving efficient frontiers for effort allocation in the management of invasive species. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 55: 72-89.

Hester S.M., Brooks, S.J., Cacho, O.J. and Panetta, F.D. 2010 Applying a simulation model to the management of an infestation of Miconia (Miconia calvescens) in the wet tropics of Australia. Weed Research, 50(3): 269-279.

Cacho, O.J., Spring, D., Hester, S.M. and Mac Nally, R. 2010. Allocating surveillance effort in the management of invasive species: a spatially-explicit model. Environmental Modelling and Software, 25(4): 444-454.

Cacho, O.J., Wise, R., Hester, S. and Sinden, J. 2008. Bioeconomic modeling for control of weeds in natural environments. Ecological Economics, 65: 559-568.

Sinden, J., Downey, P., Hester, S. and Cacho, O. 2008. Economic evaluation of the management of bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata (DC.) T.Norl.) to conserve native plant communitites in New South Wales. Plant Protection Quarterly, 23(1): 34-36.

Cacho, O., Hester, S. and Spring, D. 2007. Applying search theory to determine the feasibility of eradicating an invasive population in natural environments. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 51, 425-443.

Cacho, O., Spring, D., Pheloung, P. and Hester, S. 2006. Evaluating the feasibility of eradicating an invasion. Biological Invasions, 8: 903-917.

Sinden, J., Jones, R., Hester, S., Odom, D., Kalisch, D., James, R., Cacho, O. and Griffith, G. 2005, The economic impact of weeds in Australia. Plant Protection Quarterly. 20 (1): 25-32.

Hester, S. M. and Cacho, O. 2003. Modelling apple orchard systems. Agricultural Systems 77: 137-154.

Book Chapters

Hester, S.M, Hauser, C.E. and Kean, J.M. 2017. Tools for designing and evaluating post-border surveillance systems. In A. Robinson, T. Walshe, M. Burgman and M. Nunn (Eds.), Invasive species: risk assessment and management (pp. 17-52). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Hester, S.M., Sergeant, E., Robinson, A. and Schultz, G. 'Animal Vegetable, or....? A case study in using animal-health monitoring design tools to solve a plant-health surveillance problem', in Jarrad, F., Low Choy, S. and Mengersen, K. (eds), Biosecurity Surveillance: Quantitative Approaches, CABI International Publishing, Wallingford, UK. submitted

Hester, S.M., Hauser, C.E. and Kean, J.M. in press. 'Tools for designing and evaluating post-border surveillance systems', in Richardson, D., Walshe, T., Robinson, A. and Burgman, M. (eds), Methods for invasive species risk analysis and management, Cambridge University Press.

Hester S. and Sinden, J. 2009. 'Economic evaluation of the NSW Bitou Bush Threat Abatement Plan', in Hughes, N.K., Burley, A.L., King, S.A. and Downey, P.O. (eds), Monitoring Manual for bitou bush control and native plant recovery, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Sydney, pp101-102.

Monographs

Sinden, J., Jones, R., Hester, S., Odom, D., Kalisch, D., James, R. and Cacho, O. 2004, The economic impact of weeds in Australia. CRC for Australian Weed Management, Technical Series # 8. (ISBN 1-920932-47). 55p. (Cited by 111, Google Scholar)

Technical Reports-to-Client (Peer-reviewed)

Hester, S. and Mayo, J. 2021. Improving the methodology for consequence assessment of amenity and environmental pests. Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis 20110801. Available from: https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/3890547/CEBRA-20110801-Final-Report-for-web-page-updated.pdf

Camac, J., Baumgartner, J., Hester, S., Subasinghe, R. and Collins, S. 2021. Using edmaps & Zonation to inform multi-pest early-detection surveillance designs. Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis 20121001. Available from: https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/3889773/20121001_final_report.pdf

Cacho, O., Hester, S. and Tait, P. 2021. Re-evaluating management of established pests including the European wasp, Vespula germanica using biocontrol agents. Final report for CEBRA Project 190804, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 67 pp. Available from:

Hester, S. and Reed, C. 2021. CEBRA research: harnessing past and new work to improve uptake and impact of best practice risk analysis approaches in MPI analysis. Final Report for CEBRA project 180702, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 67 pp. Available from: https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/3857016/180702-Final-Report-for-web.pdf

Arndt, E., Robinson, A. and Hester, S. 2021. Factors that influence vessel biofouling and its prevention and management. Final Report for CEBRA Project 190803, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 106 pp. Available from https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/3822922/Endorsed-CEBRA-190803-Final-Report.pdf

Campbell, A., Mody, F., Mooney, A., Whyte, J.and Hester, S. 2021. Increasing confidence in pre-border risk management. Final Report for CEBRA project 170602, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 67 pp. Available from https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/3642523/170602-Final-Report-Mar-2021-for-web.pdf

Hester, S., Rossiter, A., Robinson, A., Sibley, J., Woolcott, B. Aston, C. and Hanea, A. 2020. CBIS/CSP sensitivity: incorporating pre-border information analysis. Final Report for CEBRA Project 170608, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 107 pp. Available from https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/3811023/170608-Final-Report-for-web.pdf

Levontin, P., Hester, S., Burgman, M. 2019. A framework for prioritising plant pests. Final Report for CEBRA 1502D, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 49 pp. Available from https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/3337639/1502D-Final-Report-.pdf

Hester, S., Tait, P., Rutherford, P. and Temoso, O. 2019. Biosecurity response decision support framework, CEBRA Project 170820, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 36 pp. Available from: https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/3412578/CEBRA-170820-Report-following-SAC-Review-20-June-19_CLEAN.pdf.

Rossiter, R., Mody, F., Whyte, J., Wang, B., Brent, C., Vandenbroek,J. Miech, E, Ryan, S. and Hester, S. 2019. Testing incentive-based drivers for importer compliance, Final Report for CEBRA 1608C, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 163 pp. Available from: https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/3464754/1608C_Final-Report_for-endorsement-20200713.pdf

Summerson, R., Graham, S. and Hester, S. 2018. Methodology to guide responses to marine pest incursions under the National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement, Final Report CEBRA 1608E, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 65pp. Available from https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/2826155/CEBRA-1608E-Final-Report-for-webpage.pdf

Leibbrandt, A., Rossiter, A., Hester, S. Wang, B. Woodhams, F. 2018. Testing compliance‑based inspection protocols. Final Report for CEBRA 1404C, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 135pp. Available from https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/2826215/CEBRA-Project-1404C-FINAL-Report.pdf

Rossiter, A., Hester, S., Aston, C., Sibley, J. and Woodhams, F. 2016. Incentives for importer choices. Final Report for CEBRA 1304C, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 135pp. Available from https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/2220292/CEBRA-Project-1304C-Final-Report.pdf

Hester, S. and Cacho, O. 2014. Post-border investment return. Final Report for CEBRA 1104D, Center of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne, 81p. Available from: https://cebra.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/3412842/Final-Report-ACERA-1104D-Post-border-Investment-reviewer-comments-incorporated.pdf.

Published Proceedings

Hester, S., Brooks, S., Cacho, O. and Panetta, D. 2010. 'A stage matrix for Miconia calvescens in the Wet Tropics of Australia: implications for management'. In Loope, L.L., Meyer, J.-Y., Hardesty, B.D. and Smith, C.W. (eds), Proceedings of the International Miconia Conference, Keanae, Maui, Hawaii, May 4-7, 2009, University of Hawaii at Manoa. http://www.hear.org/conferences/miconia2009/Proceedings/.

Panetta, F.D., Cacho, O.J., Hester, S.M. and Sims-Chilton, N.M. In press.'Estimating the duration and cost of weed eradication programs', In Clout, M. and Veitch. D. (eds), Proceedings of the conference on Island Invasives; eradication and management, Auckland, New Zealand, February 8-12, 2010, University of Auckland.

Hester, S.M. and Cacho, O.J. 2009, 'The spread of a biological invasion in space and time: modelling active and passive surveillance', in MODSIM 09, Proceedings of the Biennial International Congress on Modelling and Simulation, Cairns, Australia, 13-17th July 2009, Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia.

Hester, S.M., Cacho, O.J. and Sinden, J. 2004, 'Valuation of the cost of a weed incursion in a natural environment: a simulation approach', Paper presented at the 14th Australian Weeds Conference, Wagga Wagga, 6-10th September.

Sinden, J., Jones, R., Hester, S., Odom, D., Kalisch, C., James, R. and Cacho, O. 2004, 'The economic impact of weeds in Australian agriculture', Paper presented at the 14th Australian Weeds Conference, Wagga Wagga, 6-10th September.

Conference Papers

Fleming, E., Mounter, S., Hester, S., Garry Griffith, G. and Baker, D. 2018, Food Safety Assurance Systems as Chain Goods, Paper presented at an organised session titled “Can Club Theory Explain the Implementation of Food Safety Assurance Systems?”, One Health & Food Safety International Congress, Bonn, 18-19 September.

Hester, S., Cacho, O. and Panetta, D. (2011) 'A tool for monitoring progress towards eradication', paper contributed to the 55th Annual Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Melbourne, 8-11 February.

Cacho, O. and Hester, S. (2011) 'Allocating biosecurity resources in space and time', paper contributed to the 55th Annual Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Melbourne, 8-11 February.

Hester, S., Brooks, S., Cacho, O. and Panetta, D. 2009, 'Achieving eradication of miconia at a site in the wet tropics of Australia: a simulation approach', Paper contributed to the 2009 International Miconia Conference, Ke'anae, Hawaii, May 4-8.

Cacho, O.J., Spring, D. and Hester, S.M. 2008, 'Bounty schemes to assist in eradicating biological invasions', Paper contributed to the 3rd annual conference of Australia & New Zealand Regional Organisation of the Society for Risk Analysis, Canberra, September.

Sinden, J., Downey, P., Hester, S. and Cacho, O. 2008, 'Valuing the biodiversity gains from protecting native plant communities from weed invasions', Paper contributed to the 52nd Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Canberra, February.

Cacho, O.J., Hester, S. and Spring, D. 2006, 'Applying search theory to determine the feasibility of eradicating invasive populations', Paper contibuted to the 50th Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Sydney, February.

Odom, D., Hester, S., Sinden, J. and Cacho, O. 2004, 'Benefit-cost analysis for weed management in natural environments: review, issues and opportunities', Paper presented at the 48th Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Melbourne, February.

Memberships

Research Associate with the Australian Centre for Biosecurity & Environmental Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU.

Community and Advocacy Organisation Collaborations

Associate, Center for Social Ecology and Biodiversity, Unanda (Universitas Andi Djemma), Palopo, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The Center’s vision is to become an excellent institution in research and community services to promote social and economic welfare for sustainable biodiversity and biosecurity and an equitable world.