Animal health surveillance

Publication details

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Australia’s favourable animal health status is underpinned by our freedom from many economically important diseases that occur in other parts of the world. Surveillance is a key component of Australia’s animal health system.

Effective surveillance:

• enables the early detection of emergency and emerging animal diseases
• facilitates access to international markets
• supports the management of endemic pests and diseases.

These functions help safeguard our domestic and international trade, the economy, environment and health of Australians.

Australian, state and territory governments, industry groups, Animal Health Australia and Wildlife Health Australia all play a role in managing and implementing animal health surveillance activities in Australia.

National Animal Health Surveillance Plan 2022–2027

The National Animal Health Surveillance Plan 2022-2027 sets out activities agreed by Australian governments and industry to maintaining and improving our national surveillance system for terrestrial animals.

The plan summarises existing surveillance programs and will guide Australian governments and industry to deliver national priority surveillance activities over the coming period.

The plan was developed by a wide range of government and industry organisations following a series of workshops coordinated with Animal Health Australia.

The plan was endorsed by Animal Health Committee in March 2023, and works alongside the National Diagnostics Plan 2021-2026. It also forms the surveillance component of Animalplan 2022-27.