Bird flu movement controls lifted

Movement control measures aimed at preventing the spread of avian influenza in Western Victoria will be lifted for some birds from today.

Movement control measures aimed at preventing the spread of avian influenza in Western Victoria will be lifted for some birds from today.

It comes as the Albanese Government this week commences a national preparedness exercise to test Australia’s readiness for an incursion of H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza.

The Victorian control measures were put in place after seven cases of the high pathogenicity H7N3 strain were detected at properties in the Golden Plains Shire, as well as a single case of the H7N9 strain detected at Terang, in May and June.

With no cases detected in Victoria since June 24, the announcement from Agriculture Victoria today stated that:

The housing requirement for poultry in the control areas surrounding Meredith and Terang has been lifted;

The restricted area around the Terang infected property has been reduced from a 5km to a 1.5km radius, and;

The control area at Terang has been reduced from a 15km to a 5km radius.

The housing requirement remains for poultry in the restricted areas around Meredith and Terang, while movement controls for birds in the Meredith and Terang areas also remain in place.

The national preparedness exercise from the federal government, dubbed ‘Exercise Volare’, will be held as a series of three scenario-based discussions, exercises and activities focused on detection of H5N1 in Australian wildlife.

Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek said the government was “working overtime” to ensure any H5N1 incursion would be managed as best as possible, while Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said that Exercise Volare would reinforce that biosecurity was a shared responsibility and that we all had a role to play.

“Exercise Volare will help us identify the strengths in our established response mechanisms and opportunities to further strengthen national preparedness and response capability,” Ms Collins said.

Victoria’s Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Sally Salmon urged poultry farmers to continue to be vigilant and report any cases of unexplained bird deaths to the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.