Over 20 biosecurity touchpoints keeping Aussie farms safe

By Jason Strong, Managing Director at Meat & Livestock Australia

In August 2022, a group of us from Australia’s livestock industries saw and inspected the rigid biosecurity checks and precautions being taken at our nation’s international airports.

Through a tour of Sydney’s International Airport, I we saw how travellers to and from countries such as Indonesia are exposed to more than 20 biosecurity touch points enhancing the biosecurity wall protecting Australia from exotic animal diseases, like foot and mouth disease (FMD).

The behind-the-scenes inspection hosted by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's (DAFF) Biosecurity and Compliance Group, featured a step-by-step review of the increased biosecurity measures in place from plane arrival through to baggage collection and exit.

The inspection was a collaboration between Government and representatives from Meat & Livestock Australia, Australian Meat Industry Council, Wilmot Cattle Co, Australian Pork Limited and Australian Wool Innovation.

The Australian Government has implemented a range of further urgent measures to reduce the risk of exotic diseases like FMD, but also other serious animal diseases like lumpy skin disease (LSD) and African swine fever (ASF) from entering Australia.

We have been working hand in hand with other industry bodies and Federal and State governments to make sure our response to the threat of FMD is measured and targeted. As always it is important to note that Australia remains FMD-free and we will do everything we can to keep it that way.

The group was provided an overview of the large number of the biosecurity touch points including announcements and handouts to passengers before disembarking, sanitation foot mats, passport and Inbound Passenger Card checking, passenger profiling, roaming biosecurity officers, x-ray inspections, detector dogs, manual inspections and the unprecedented level of screening of incoming cargo and mail now in place.

While the Australian Government carries the responsibility for protecting Australia from biosecurity risks at places like airports and ports, the industry is doing everything it can to support their work.

For MLA, we have recently funded five sets of portable yards to aid local Indonesian government authorities to vaccinate cattle for foot FMD across the Indonesian Archipelago. This is part of our ongoing effort to support the Indonesian government and Australian exporters to keep cattle safe from FMD in Indonesia. By stemming the flow there, we can look to prevent its spread here.

Australia has some of the strictest biosecurity protocols in the world and industry has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to develop lifetime traceability systems, partly in response to the risk of an exotic disease incursion.

Producers are urged to exercise vigilance on-farm by:

• being aware of the symptoms of FMD and LSD
• calling the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888 if you suspect LSD or FMD in your livestock
• adhering to all traceability obligations, including meeting your requirements under the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) and completing National Vendor Declarations so they are clear, complete and correct
• reviewing your on-farm biosecurity plan.