Avian influenza
Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (13:42): (14) My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. The 2020 avian influenza cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of productive birds and countless wild birds in Victoria. With the imminent risk of another avian flu outbreak, how many AgVic staff have been allocated to ensure avian flu does not enter Victoria?
Jaclyn Symes interjected.
Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (13:43): I thank the member for her question and the enthusiasm of a former Minister for Agriculture. Indeed the most recent incident was when Ms Symes was the Minister for Agriculture.
It is absolutely true that there is talk amongst the jurisdictions about how Victoria handled the situation here, and it did get the gold star. We have got the capability and capacity to deal with a whole range of issues within agriculture, whether it be avian flu or of course all the other elements in terms of biosecurity. We were the first jurisdiction that took the exotic diseases management issue on board. We were one of the first to actually make a significant budgetary allocation out of cycle in respect to biosecurity issues – $33 million last year alone just in terms of preparation and being able to work with our farmers, as we do with everything. They understand that the only way we can deal with avian flu, foot and mouth or lumpy skin, you name it, is to work together, because everyone has a responsibility and has a role to play.
Indeed our agriculture department is a department that is revered not just in terms of our stakeholders but in terms of other jurisdictions because it is seen to be well prepared. It does have the capability. Whether it is avian flu or any other distraction, we do not have specified job roles for every single threat that is confronting this country and this state. That is why we have got a whole-of-department strategy employed when it comes to things like biosecurity. If you silo people too much, it means nothing much gets done in areas where specific threats are being made. So I can assure Ms Bath that we have got the capability and we have got the history and the capacity to deal with so many threats, and I take this opportunity to thank all those in AgVic, who do an amazing job day in, day out.
Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (13:46): The minister – and I thank her for her response – talks about working with farmers, so my supplementary is: what steps have you taken to engage with the productive bird sector – the farmers – so that they are prepared for an avian influenza incursion?
Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (13:46): There are a number of measures that AgVic undertakes on a regular basis, but can I tell you, in terms of the perspective of farmers and producers, AgVic and the ministerial office, that our highest priorities are more around things like biosecurity. Has the memo not been received? There is a 56 per cent chance that we will actually get foot-and-mouth disease or lumpy skin. These are the things that are really occupying our minds. The other things that are occupying our minds are how we can support farmers who have gone through floods and how to support farmers and producers that have gone through hailstorms and whose crops have been affected, particularly in the Goulburn Valley. These are the priorities of this government. Avian flu obviously is always there as a threat, but in terms of the real activities and the real priorities of my portfolio at the moment, it is foot-and-mouth, lumpy skin – you name it – in terms of EADs and of course all the other threats that are imminent.