Victoria’s state-run zoos restricting visitor access to certain animals amid foot and mouth disease fears

The Premier has said it’s good to see the Melbourne zoo’s taking the disease “very seriously” by refusing entry to people who live with livestock and recent travellers.

Daniel Andrews and his team of ministers will receive a briefing on the foot-and-mouth disease crisis later this week.

The Premier said his cabinet on Monday had meetings about the emerging disease, which threatens to disrupt Victoria’s lucrative agriculture industry.

It comes as Melbourne Zoo announced it would take swift action by cancelling some animal interactions and refusing entry to people who live with livestock.

Returned travellers from Indonesia have also been asked to wait 48 hours before visiting the zoo.

Mr Andrews said it is “good to see the zoo taking this very seriously”.

“You’d expect nothing less,” he said.

Daniel Andrews at the Werribee Open Range Zoo in 2020. Picture: James Ross

Mr Andrews said Agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney, Agriculture Victoria and the state’s chief vet Dr Graeme Cooke were working around the clock to respond to the crisis.

“Everyone relevant to this is working really hard to be ready - getting information out there, making sure people know what they can do, steps they can take on farm or off farm,” he said.

“Everyone can rest assured that the government is working very closely with the federal government and we’re taking the necessary steps to keep Victoria safe.”

Mr Andrews said his government’s investments in biosecurity had been “very significant”.

“That sits in contrast with what we inherited,” he added.

“This sector is worth tens of billions of dollars to us every year so we’ve got to do everything we can to keep that sector safe.”

Asked if he wanted the Commonwealth to go further in its response, including to shut its border with Indonesia, Mr Andrews said: “The federal government has acted. I’d always want the federal government to do more, to listen to experts and to respond as things change, and I’m confident they will.”

Big change to Melbourne Zoo amid disease fears

Victoria’s state-run zoos have begun restricting visitor access to certain animals to prevent them being infected with foot-and-mouth disease.

It comes as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton repeated calls for Australia to shut its border with Indonesia, which is battling an outbreak of the highly contagious disease.

Foot sanitisation mats for travellers returning from Indonesia were expected to be in place at Melbourne airport today, after the Albanese government was last week criticised over delaying the move.

Zoos Victoria chief executive Jenny Gray said it had cancelled paid encounters with giraffes, kangaroos and elephants following briefings about the risk foot-and-mouth disease posed to the health of those animals.

Paid encounters are upgraded bookings that involve visitors being guided through an animal exhibit by a zookeeper.

Visitors will have to watch Iris the giraffe from afar. Picture: Mark Stewart

The change – which will not prevent visitors being able to look at the animals – will apply to Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary.

“We are exercising an abundance of caution to ensure the animals in our care remain as safe as possible, so upcoming paid encounters with giraffe, kangaroo and elephants have been cancelled and will be automatically refunded,” Dr Gray said.

“We are reviewing the situation and our containment measures on a daily basis.”

Despite beefed-up biosecurity measures at airports, Mr Dutton demanded Anthony Albanese explain why the border shouldn’t close to Australia’s northern neighbour.

“I believe the borders should be closed absent the ­information that the government’s got,” he said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton repeated calls for Australia to shut its border with Indonesia.

“If we get a single case here, single sheep, a single beast, the whole export industry for our country closes down. It’s an $80bn impact on the economy.

“If the Prime Minister has a reason as to why the borders shouldn’t be closed, let him ­explain it. But so far, he hasn’t been able to do that.”

The Coalition’s position on the border had been unclear. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce and Liberal MP Karen Andrews demanded the border close, while Nationals MP David Littleproud and Senator Bridget McKenzie were last week reluctant to go that far.

Bodies representing the meat and farm industries have rejected calls to close the border, which Mr Albanese also deemed not yet necessary.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt accused the opposition of “hysteria”, adding the government would continue measures to keep Australia foot-and-mouth disease free. The Australian embassy in Indonesia confirmed mats were in place at Indonesian airports.