CEO UPDATE
H7 avian influenza response in Victoria
Agriculture Victoria continues to respond to H7 avian influenza (bird flu) detections at four poultry properties in northern Victoria near Euroa.
On 31 March 2025, the size of the control area in the region was reduced, and good progress has been made on the cleaning and decontamination of affected properties.
This outbreak is not the H5 strain that is causing global concern.
As always, I encourage members to continue to monitor AgVic and outbreak.gov.au for the latest information and updates.
Member Engagement Week
It was lovely to catch up with members at our first Member Engagement Week (MEW) of 2025 in March.
Feedback about the event has been excellent, with high praise for the comprehensive range of topics and robust discussions across the forums and workshops.
I want to thank all the speakers who participated in the Member Forum, providing important updates and insights from across various programs and initiatives.
I’d also like to thank members for providing constructive feedback on our Strategic Plan for 2025-2030. Your insights and guidance have now been incorporated into the final version, which is set to commence on 1 July 2025.
Our next MEW will be in September. Stay tuned for details closer to the date.
Animal Health Australia (AHA) organisational changes
To help us deliver our 2025-30 Strategic Plan, we recently reviewed all roles within AHA to ensure we have the appropriate structure and resources to best achieve our strategic priorities.
The review identified several new positions, some of which are currently advertised on our website. Several positions were also made redundant.
While change can be challenging, it’s necessary to ensure we continue to enhance our biosecurity prevention, preparedness and response capabilities while remaining agile enough to support member needs. This realignment will not impact project outputs/milestones or member engagement.
Key contacts at AHA are available on the AHA website.
Queensland flood impacts
I want to acknowledge the immense hardship being experienced by producers, property owners, and communities in outback Queensland due to widespread flooding.
Significant stock loss is always devastating and has a profound financial and emotional impact on businesses, communities, and individuals.
If you live or work in an affected area, please check with your local or state government authorities to see what disaster recovery support is available.
Trump’s tariffs
Australian beef was a hot topic as US President Trump announced a 10% tariff on goods entering the US earlier this month.
Given the fluidity of the US tariff regime, we’ll continue to monitor the situation for developments. However, it was pleasing to hear the Australian Government reinforce that tariffs would not diminish Australia’s firm stance on biosecurity.
Regards
Samantha Allan
Quick links
MEMBER UPDATE
Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN)
A few updates further to our earlier AUSVETPLAN Quarterly Communiqué – April 2025.
Following review by AHA members, the 2025-26 AUSVETPLAN manual workplan is now being finalised, and preparations will commence for delivery to start in July.
The revised AUSVETPLAN Operational manual: Destruction of animals and AUSVETPLAN Response strategy: Lumpy skin disease are now with Industry Forum for approval.
The writing group for the AUSVETPLAN Response strategy: Classical swine fever has almost completed updating the manual, which will then be progressed to the AUSVETPLAN Technical Review Group (TRG) for review.
The revised AUSVETPLAN Response strategy: Avian influenza is undergoing final review with TRG. It will be progressed to Industry Forum for approval in May.
Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA)
2024 EADRA variations
The latest version of the EADRA (version 25) was published on the Animal Health Australia website on 2 April.
You can download the document below or from our Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement page.
Annual updates keep the Deed current and fit for purpose. Planning for 2025 EADRA variations and amendments will start in May.
EADRA categorisation review working group
The working group reviewing categorisation under the EADRA met on 10 April 2025.
Members were briefed on feedback from external stakeholders on version 0.4 of the draft guidance and commenced work to review the categorisation/recategorisation process and the definition of an Emergency Animal Disease under EADRA.
Work has begun on drafting version 0.5 of the draft categorisation guidance, with planning underway for an independent evaluation of the draft guidance.
Training updates
The AHA Training Team has delivered some key projects over March to wrap up the first quarter of 2025.
National Management Group (NMG) Workshop
The NMG workshop took place during AHA Member Engagement Week in March. Over the two days, AHA delivered training to over 20 participants from industry and government signatories and raised awareness of how NMG operates for cross-sectoral stakeholders, including human health, plant, and wildlife sectors.
AHA Chair Malcolm Letts spoke about his experiences in responses while in various roles and the importance of members coming prepared to NMG meetings by connecting with their advisory network. AHA Head of Program Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement Therese Wright shared valuable insights about the process and principles of cost-sharing in emergency animal disease.
The varied backgrounds and experiences in the room brought unique perspectives to the workshop and facilitated robust conversation. One hundred per cent of participants either ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ that the training met their needs, was delivered well, and allowed them to participate effectively.
National Biosecurity Response Team (NBRT) Cadets Workshop
The NBRT Cadets program ran its 10th workshop in Canberra last month with 28 participants from the ACT, Northern Territory, and Tasmanian biosecurity, environment, and agricultural departments.
Facilitated by Callan Consulting and coordinated by AHA, the program discussed Emergency Management Frameworks and Arrangements across the three jurisdictions and introduced participants to incident management systems and the various functions involved in responses at local and state/territory.
The workshop engaged attendees in scenario-based problem-solving exercises and included guest speakers Kirsten Tasker from ACT Environment and Tom Gibbs from ACT Community Services, who shared their experiences working in biosecurity emergency responses.
With the three-year program ending in June, this was the final NBRT Cadets workshop.
AHA is excited to continue with the next NBRT program deliverable — the first professional development week for the cohort of new NBRT members, which will be held in Sydney in May.
Queensland Liaison – Livestock Industry (LLI)
AHA will facilitate two LLI workshops in Queensland this June. Hosted by the Department of Primary Industries (Qld DPI), they will take place on:
- 17 June 2025 — Charters Towers
- 19 June 2025 — Brisbane
Candidates should contact their national peak industry bodies (PIB) to express interest in participating. National PIBs should email nominations to trainingsupport@animalhealthaustralia.com.au. You can also forward the registration link directly to nominees.
Registrations close on Friday 9 May 2025. For details about the training or the LLI role, email the AHA Training Team via the address above.
Animal Disease Insights: a new digital resource for animal health
Australia’s One Health Epi Consulting has launched a new online platform to enhance global animal disease surveillance, prevention, and control — Animal Disease Insights.
This data-driven dashboard consolidates worldwide animal disease information and news, allowing users to visualize global spatial patterns for selected diseases, track country rankings based on outbreak numbers or cases, and explore trends over the past 20 years.
To access the free dashboard, visit onehealthepi.com/dashboard.
Zoo2Zoo charity ride update
Our Training Officer, Bronte Clifford, recently completed the annual Zoo2Zoo charity ride, marking her sixth consecutive year supporting this amazing cause.
Starting at Melbourne Zoo on Saturday 1 March 2025, 24 riders and nine support crew set off for Dubbo, all arriving safely.
The success of the 10th annual Melbourne to Dubbo Zoo2Zoo was incredible. This year, the charity raised over $65,000, a figure that’s still growing!
Funds raised through the ride directly support those experiencing mental health challenges in Australia.
If you’re interested in more information, other 2025 rides, or donating, visit Zoo2Zoo.