Message from the Chair

March Member Engagement Week – Register now 

Join us at AHA Member Engagement Week, Monday 17 March to Thursday 20 March 2025 at Vibe Hotel in Canberra to network with other members across government and industry and purposefully engage in discussions on national biosecurity and emergency preparedness systems.

Accommodation

Book your accommodation early to enjoy discounted rates at the Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport. Use promo code MEWMAR25 before February 16, 2025, to secure this member rate.

Training Highlights from 2024

As we look ahead to what 2025 holds, the AHA Training team wanted to share some celebrations with our members.

National Biosecurity Response Team (NBRT) and Cadets Program

AHA supported the NBRT recruitment panel in confirming the new NBRT membership for the upcoming 2025 – 2028 tenure period. Of the 96 nominations received, 70 members were accepted into the NBRT program with representation of all Australian jurisdictions and the animal, plant, aquatic and environmental sectors.

Additionally, the NBRT program wrapped up its 2021 – 2024 arrangement period with the delivery of two professional development opportunities for members in 2024.

• In February, a face-to-face networking and development activity for the mentor cohort, facilitated by Three60 consulting, equipped participants with essential skills for transferring specialised biosecurity knowledge.
• A virtual reflections workshop for all NBRT members in June increased members’ capability to operate within uncertain and rapidly changing environments and highlighted the value of networking made available through the program.

The program also supported 20 NBRT members to attend the third Australian Biosecurity Symposium, which brought over 400 of Australia’s key agricultural, government, research, and community sectors to the Gold Coast in August.

Through the NBRT cadets’ program, AHA have provided introductory biosecurity response training to jurisdictional staff identified as potential NBRT members. The program delivered workshops to staff at the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia in May, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Victoria in April, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in October.

Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases (CCEAD) training

During the September Member Engagement Week (MEW), AHA delivered CCEAD training to veterinary and technical experts from our industry and government members.

Those in attendance had the fantastic opportunity to hear from the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Beth Cookson, who spoke to the importance of CCEAD and having trained and prepared representatives.

Participants were also fortunate to listen to Melinda Hashimoto of Egg Farmers Australia, who provided valuable insights particularly around the industry perspective of CCEAD’s involvement in a response.

The workshop benefited from a diverse range of participants and observers, which helped contribute to a broader and stronger biosecurity network. To read more about the recent CCEAD workshop, visit the news article on AHA’s website. For more information on the CCEAD role, you can access the training webpage.

Additional highlights:

• Supported the ongoing capability of National Management Group members through training at our March MEW.

Liaison – Livestock Industry (LLI) online course

In May, AHA were proud to release the newly developed LLI online course. This online training resource, freely accessible through the Biosecurity Online Training Hub, explores the broader context in which the LLI function sits and what the LLI function is responsible for. Designed to act as an introduction to the role, a prerequisite for LLI workshops, and a refresher resource, the in-depth theoretical basis of this course will also allow AHA to provide a greater level of scenario-based training during LLI workshops, so that participants can more practically explore what it looks like to perform the LLI function.

Additional highlights:

• AHA were able to overcome previous challenges and provide Tasmanian LLI representatives training in March which was postponed from 2023.
• Supported Victoria’s EAD preparedness amidst the High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) response by delivering an LLI workshop in July.
• Strengthened the readiness of northern networks in the Northern Territory by holding an LLI workshop in November.

LLI Exercise – Exercise Audiatur

Working closely with Agriculture Victoria (AgVic) and peak livestock industry body representatives throughout a demanding HPAI response, AHA delivered Exercise Audiatur in late October.

This discussion-based exercise, aimed at enhancing the LLI function’s support and performance during a cost-shared EAD response in Victoria, invited Victorian LLI representatives and Chief Veterinary Office unit members to apply their skills and experience within their function or role to a simulated foot-and-mouth disease response.

The Exercise was successfully delivered, and the planning team received some valuable feedback from participants and evaluators.

Thank you to all those that have participated, and for your commitment to ensuring the Australian livestock sector is prepared and ready to respond. The Training Team looks forward to seeing you all in 2025!

Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN)

December has been a busy month with a number of manuals progressing through the approvals process. These include progressing the AUSVETPLAN operational manuals for disposal and destruction of animals to the AUSVETPLAN Technical Review Group (TRG) for review and considering comments from the TRG on the AUSVETPLAN enterprise manual: Northern Australia beef cattle industry and AUSVETPLAN response strategy: African swine fever.

Review of the AUSVETPLAN response strategies for peste des petits ruminants and classical swine fever are well underway, while the writing group for AUSVETPLAN operational manual: Livestock welfare and management will continue work into early 2025. The writing group for the AUSVETPLAN response strategy: Avian influenza completed their review with the last meeting held in mid-December 2024.

The AUSVETPLAN team is finalising outcomes from the Strategic Planning Meeting held on 21 November 2024 for circulation with members in the near future and are looking forward to welcoming Dr. Jane Owens to the role of Head of Program – AUSVETPLAN in January 2025.

Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA)

The final Categorisation Working Group (WG) meeting for 2024 took place on 12 December, with WG members agreeing to a number of edits and amendments to the draft guidance on categorisation, as well as confirming next steps to prepare for introducing this work at the March 2025 EADRA workshop.

For those who have been receiving the monthly EADRA Workplan Status Reports, please note that there will be no report circulated in December, with a combined December/January report being circulated in late January instead.

Thank you again to all members for your contribution and collaborative approach to EADRA activities in 2024, we look forward to continuing working with you in the new year and wish everyone a safe and restful holiday period.

Around the traps

• CDNA national guidelines for avian influenza – protecting people who work with birds and wildlife | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
• eID tag discounts for NSW farmers | Seymour Telegraph
• 2024 Year in Review | Australian Chicken Meat Federation
• Cattle Australia announces re-elected Chair and Deputy Chair – Cattle Australia
• A strain of bird flu (H7N6) in Otago | NZ Government