The latest biosecurity updates from Agriculture Victoria.
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Welcome to the first edition of Agriculture Victoria’s Biosecurity Matters newsletter
Aquatic animal disease outbreak resources now available
Vets, fish farm workers, fisheries staff and scientists could gain valuable insights into aquatic animal disease events thanks to a new book and online courses.
Developed by Agriculture Victoria and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, the book brings together the 10 essential steps for investigating aquatic disease events in the wild or on-farm.
“Even with the best biosecurity practices things can move quickly when disease hits, so it’s essential to investigate as soon as you notice something is wrong,”
- Dr Tracey Bradley, Agriculture Victoria Principal Veterinary Officer (pictured above).
Biosecurity boost for Timor-Leste
Agriculture Victoria scientists are working with our close neighbour, Timor-Leste, to boost local animal health and help safeguard Australia from exotic animal diseases.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has funded Agriculture Victoria $3.5 million over five years to extend biosecurity training to scientists, technicians and farmers in Timor-Leste, building on work undertaken over the past three years.
The project, which initially focussed on diagnosing and managing African Swine Fever, has been extended to look at a range of diseases including classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and lumpy skin disease, and will include testing of all livestock species.
Biosecurity planning workshops for dairy farms
Designed for dairy farmers, these two-hour workshops will show you how simple, practical and low-cost biosecurity practices can be built into your farm activities.
Topics include
- Developing a biosecurity plan
- Designing a farm map
- Implementing a biosecurity plan – what you can do now.
Upcoming sessions
Know what to do in a livestock standstill
Would you know what to do if a National Livestock Standstill was declared? If foot-and-mouth disease is confirmed or strongly suspected in Australia, livestock movement restrictions would be put in place.
Follow our 15-minute Livestock Standstill eLearning module to find out more about what would happen and what you can do to be prepared.
Have you seen water hyacinth growing in your neighbourhood? Report it now.
Water hyacinth is one of our most invasive plants and a State prohibited weed in Victoria - this means it's illegal to sell, place in a waterway or otherwise spread the seed. A single plant can produce more than 3000 seeds over summer, each of which can survive and plague a waterway for at least 30 years.
Over the past 12 months, it's been reported in Bairnsdale, Warrnambool, Rutherglen and multiple Melbourne suburbs. If you notice it, don't attempt to remove it due to the risks posed by plant parts or seeds. Instead, contact us on 136 186 and we'll remove it at no cost.
Remember to say: no to cane toads today!
We're working with Crime Stoppers Victoria this month to raise awareness about Cane Toads, a high-risk invasive animal. If you've seen one, please report it via 136 186 .
This newsletter is distributed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
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