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Member Update – October 2024

31 Oct

Animal health database

Thank you for your keen interest in discussing the way forward for a future animal health database for Australia at our September members week.

The in-person format of members week allowed us to have quality engagement with all member organisations who were present, covering all member groups. We provided information, received your feedback and had the challenging conversations required to enable us to agree on an approach to ensure Australia has the best animal health and surveillance database possible.

We all agreed that Australia’s national animal health database needs to be future focused, flexible and adaptable to incorporate new technologies as they arise. It must also cater for the diverse needs of our collective stakeholders at a sustainable cost, to enable continued support for a co-funded model, similar to what we have in place now.

At this stage, in agreement with the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, we have agreed to cease the pilot development of a terrestrial animal tenancy within AUSPestCheck® as a replacement for the current AHA Central Animal Health Database (CAHD). 

The CAHD is currently undergoing major security and stability upgrades and will remain fit for purpose for the medium term, allowing all of us the time to undertake a comprehensive consultation process to: 

  • scope what our ideal animal health database would look like, including the ability to support trade and market access for livestock and their products
  • explore the potential for incorporating new tools such as trend analysis and predictive modelling to help maximise the efficiency of surveillance projects by allowing more targeted surveillance activities, and powerful analysis of currently held historical datasets and data from other sources such as the Bureau of Meteorology and Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care 
  • assess potential linkages and automated data flows with jurisdictional systems (such as MAX), and the exciting Biosecurity Commons project which is still in development. 

The improvements to data standards proposed as part of the AUSPestCheck® pilot will be leveraged and incorporated into the CAHD this year, in time for the 2025 calendar year reporting. This will streamline data entry from jurisdictions and improve the performance of the CAHD. These contemporary data standards, which are with the national committees for final agreement, can be transferred across to any future system as required. 

As part of the next steps, AHA will work with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to scope a proposal for a consultation process with animal health stakeholders to determine the vision for a future system, and then engage with technical IT system experts to look at options and costs. We will provide an update as soon as possible and look forward to working together with you on this project. 

Biosecurity tool revamps

The National Goat Health Declaration has been reviewed for the first time in eight years, and an updated caprine arthritis encephalitis module in the Market Assurance Program for Goats (GoatMAP) has also been released.

Read more

Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN)

It has been busy time for the AUSVETPLAN program, with updates to the AUSVETPLAN enterprise manual: Beef cattle feedlots and AUSVETPLAN response strategy: African swine fever recently published. You can find the manuals on the AHA website.

In late September, Animal Health Australia (AHA) hosted Member Engagement Week where the AUSVETPLAN 2024/25 work plan was discussed. Members noted progress against the work plan and collectively agreed to pause review of the AUSVETPLAN response strategy: Surra and instead, progress review of the AUSVETPLAN response strategy: Peste des petits ruminants.

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Consultative Committee for Emergency Animal Disease (CCEAD) Training           

Member Engagement Week saw delivery of the CCEAD workshop on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 September 2024. Over the two days, AHA delivered training to over 30 participants, made up from our Peak Industry Bodies and government departments, the Interim Australian Centre for Disease Control, the Zoo and Aquarium Association, the University of Melbourne, and AHA and PHA staff.

The Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Beth Cookson, spoke to participants from the Commonwealth’s perspective of CCEAD, and Melinda Hashimoto, CEO from Egg Farmers Australia spoke to the industry perspective and her experience in the recent response. The varied backgrounds and experiences in the room brought unique perspectives to the workshop and gave way to meaningful conversations.

The National Animal Health Training Reference Group (NAHTRG) Webinar

The NAHTRG brings together skilled individuals from the Training or Learning and Development sections of government and industry.  In early October AHA ran a virtual facilitation skills workshop aimed to enhance the trainer’s facilitation skills by using best practice techniques and strategies to effectively engage and inform learners. The workshop had 20 participants from across the country, all engaged and ready to learn no matter the level of existing experience and expertise.

National Biosecurity Response Team (NBRT) Cadets

The NBRT Cadets program ran its workshop in Canberra recently with 42 participants from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

Facilitated by Callan Consulting and supported by AHA, the program discussed the Australian Government Crisis Management Framework and Arrangements and introduced participants to incident management systems and the various functions involved in a response at both state and national levels.

The workshop engaged attendees in scenario based problem-solving exercises and included guest speakers from DAFF, the National Emergency Management Agency and a member of the NBRT who shared their experience working in a biosecurity emergency response.

Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA)

  • A half day EADRA workshop was held on 24 September 2024 at the AHA’s Member Engagement Week. The workshop was well attended and provided an opportunity for robust discussion with representatives on key topics relating to the EADRA including a particular focus on confidentiality. The EADRA team thanks those who attended for their engagement and contributions.
  • The 2024 EADRA Variations and Amendments Meeting was held virtually on 22 October 2024, with all Signatories invited to endorse or provide their feedback on the proposed changes to the EADRA. AHA is now working to implement the feedback received from this meeting so that the variations documents can be circulated for signing.  
  • The Categorisation Working Group (WG) will continue work in November, with the 5th meeting of the WG to take place on 14 November 2024. The categorisation sub-working group have planned to meet in late October to progress work out of session.

National Animal Health Information Program (NAHIP) and National Significant Disease Investigation Program (NSDIP) advisory committees’ annual meetings

  • NAHIP and NSDIP advisory committees met virtually on 22 October to review program activities from the 2023 – 24 financial year.
  • The meetings provided an opportunity for committee members to discuss key program developments and plan future actions as well as considering the coordinator and program management reports. A data reporting discussion was also held with both advisory committees which are working with AHA to finalise the Data Management and Use Policies. A focus for the upcoming year will be the continuation of the activities of the data quality subgroup.

Recent publications

The recommended biosecurity practices for horse owners are contained in the Horse Venue Biosecurity Workbook

The Tasmanian Livestock Health Report summarises information on livestock diseases and conditions observed by rural service providers across Tasmania.

Tasmanian Livestock Health Report, August 2024

Tasmanian Livestock Health Report, September 2024

 

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