Agriculture Victoria has been recognised at the 2021 Australian Biosecurity Awards for its outstanding work in biosecurity.
The department received a Government Award for the management of Australia’s largest ever recorded outbreak of avian influenza.
In addition, two Community Awards were received – one for the Urban Plant Health Network (UPHN) which raises awareness of plant health and biosecurity risks in the backyard and community gardens, and another for the success of the Goulburn Murray Valley Fruit Fly Areawide Management Program which is funded by Agriculture Victoria.
Agriculture Victoria Chief Executive Matt Lowe said he was incredibly proud of the efforts of the dedicated staff to maintain the state’s strong biosecurity system.
“It is a great honour and a tribute to the team for its hard work on these significant projects.”
The avian influenza outbreak spanned seven facilities across three species and regions. With the three different strains detected it was the largest biosecurity emergency response in Victoria for 20 years.
Over 340 staff contributed 7,000 working days responding to the avian influenza outbreak, which lasted more than nine months from July last year.
Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Graeme Cooke said the response was immediate as the disease was threatening the health of commercial flocks, but also the state’s valuable poultry trade.
“Avian influenza is a serious disease that has the power to devastate entire farms in hours and impact Victoria’s reputation as a healthy and safe poultry producer.”
“Almost 1,400 surveillance activities needed to be undertaken and over 21,650 samples were analysed by scientists at Agriculture Victoria’s research laboratory, AgriBio.”
The response included movement restrictions for poultry, poultry products and equipment near the infected properties and a housing order – a first for Australia – where all domestic birds in affected areas were required to be housed to limit interaction with wild birds.
“These efforts also led to new policy areas and innovations that will be useful in years to come.”
“Our strong biosecurity system needs constant effort to ensure we minimise the harm caused by pests and diseases and this recent success is a testament to the determination of Victoria’s whole biosecurity team.”
The UPHN, jointly funded with the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, showcased the power of collaboration, innovation and creativity by partnering with industry to engage backyard and community gardeners to take an active role in managing biosecurity risks.
The pilot initiative, which encourages Melbourne gardeners to learn about exotic pests and get involved in general surveillance of high-priority pests such as brown marmorated stink bug, red imported fire ants and exotic bees, utilises apps, social media, web, comics and podcasts to make pest management simple and engaging.
The Goulburn Murray Valley Areawide Management Program, of which Agriculture Victoria is a member, has worked with community to build awareness and improve management of Queensland fruit fly.
Activities have included extensive engagement programs driven by local community groups and control activities supported by pest monitoring, tree removals and personal visits to affected landholders.
This program helps everyone in the Goulburn Murray Valley community contribute to managing this established pest and protect the state’s valuable horticulture.
Agriculture Victoria also extends its congratulations to Associate Professor Dr Kim Plummer from La Trobe University on receiving an Education Award for her work inspiring the next generation of scientists and supporting biosecurity education and advancement.
