National plan mooted to counter foot and mouth disease

States and territories have been told to come up with a national approach to interstate border control and permit system to prepare for a local outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Veterinarians inject cattle with foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in Indonesia. Picture: Agvi Firdaus

States and territories have been told to come up with a national approach to interstate border control and permit systems to prepare for a local outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

They have also been asked to update their plans for sites to dump the carcasses of livestock culled as part of an elimination strategy.

A taskforce also recommended that the government commission fresh modelling to determine likely weather events that could transport insects carrying the lumpy skin disease virus into ­Australia.

The recommendations are among 14 areas identified for improvement by a government-­appointed taskforce given the job of testing the country’s preparedness for an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease or lumpy skin disease.

“Our three-pronged approach of helping Indonesia deal with their outbreak, strengthening our borders and improving preparedness is vital to ensure we continue to remain FMD-free,” Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said.

“Overall, the review found that our biosecurity system is strong and sound, particularly in prevention and mitigation, and there is good reason to expect Australia will remain free of these diseases.

“The review also found that some of our biosecurity responses need to be updated to be current with the times and the technology we now have.”

The taskforce, which ran for four weeks, conducted scenario-based exercises including a mock national livestock standstill.

It also held scenario-based discussions about hypothetical northern Australia and southern Australia outbreaks.

“These scenarios tested arrangements already in place to respond to incursions of FMD and lumpy skin disease (LSD), including for multiple outbreaks across multiple jurisdictions,” Senator Watt said. “The taskforce worked closely with state and territory governments, industry and Indigenous communities to ensure a national, co-ordinated view was captured.

“It also looked at the United Kingdom’s FMD outbreak in 2001, Covid-19 and recent natural disasters in Australia to see what lessons could be learned from those events.

“This work will now lead into and inform Exercise Paratus, a live boots-on-the-ground FMD-based scenario to be undertaken next year.”

The highly infectious foot-and-mouth disease virus, which is not present in Australia, was identified in Indonesian cattle in May, but its presence in Bali, a step closer to the Australian mainland, created further alarm in the livestock industry.