The Australian Government has committed an additional $145 million to help safeguard Australia against the impacts of H5 avian influenza (bird flu).
Of this funding, $20 million will enable the expansion and extension of measures supporting native species most at-risk. These measures include activities in Commonwealth-managed national parks.
This will help already affected species better withstand and recover from the impacts of H5 bird flu. This includes the:
- greater crested tern
- long-nosed fur seal
- little penguin.
It will also support species predicted to be most at-risk, such as the brown booby and Christmas Island frigatebird.
The funding will deliver:
- emergency response activities
- threat mitigation and resilience building activities
- support for citizen science and community engagement.
The delivery of this funding will be guided by the H5 bird flu national wildlife risk analysis and other sources of information. This includes state and territory priorities, and relevant expertise and cultural values.
The Australian Government has committed more than $270 million to prepare for H5 bird flu. This includes $67.1 million for environmental measures.
H5 bird flu has been detected in Australian wildlife. There are no detections in poultry or our agricultural system. The current risk of bird flu to people in Australia is low.
