Livestock producers

Biosecurity Officer

Excuse me can I see your declaration card please? Thank you. Question number 6, do you have any meat products at all?

Traveller

No.

Biosecurity Officer

So nothing. No sandwiches, beef, pork, chicken.

Vikki Fischer. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Biosecurity and Compliance Group

We’re fully committed. We've got hundreds of biosecurity officers out here, day in day out. They take great pride in the work that they are doing. They're implementing and maintaining Australia's biosecurity. We are doing everything we can to keep FMD out of the country.

Jason Strong. Meat & Livestock Australia

I think what stood out to me was the importance of multiple touchpoints and having multiple opportunities for people to declare and come clean so to speak. But making sure enough of those things are very visible as well so people have multiple reminders of their obligation and what they should be doing.

Patrick Hutchinson. Australian Meat Industry Council

Look it just gives me further confidence that not only are we just not doing measures because it looks good, or it makes farmers feel better. This is also about a far more experienced process that this not just this airport, but many other airports the Department of Agriculture, DFAT, Border Security and Border Force are going through in order to keep our industry safe from a disease incursion.

John Roberts. Australian Wool Innovation

I was very impressed to see the way they manage people and try and put people through the through the system but obviously not trying to speed them through. They're actually trying to make sure it’s actually not just a tick and flick exercise.

Heidi Reid. Australian Pork Limited

It’s been fantastic to see both the controls that are already in place and the huge amount of work that's already in place to safeguard industry but see some of those additional measures like the foot mats. As we've seen the risk profile increase off the back of the disease being detected in Indonesia and Bali, you know we're seeing a lot more resources go over into those countries and also Papa New Guinea and Timor-Leste.

Vikki Fischer. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Biosecurity and Compliance Group

So some of the measures that we've implemented include raising awareness, so for all travellers, they'll be reminded when they leave Australia about the risk of FMD if they're on holiday to Bali. While they're in Bali now we've got communications out at resorts, we've got materials set up at airports as well. When you board the aeroplane and you're coming home you're reminded again, you have Australia's biosecurity video and a lot of our biosecurity video is about keeping FMD out of the country. And when the plane lands, we actually have a biosecurity officer board the plane and remind you once again, remind the traveller once again, that that document that incoming Traveller card that you're declaring what you've brought with you is a legal document and you must fully inform us what you're travelling with and where you've been. And Travellers are required to walk across mats with a sanitisation fluid to clean their shoes as well and if they are declaring anything, they will also be taken through for a full inspection as well.

Stuart Austin. Wilmot Cattle Co

Certainly I have more confidence in the system now than I had a few hours ago. Recognising the percentage of Travellers that are being screened in some form or another is impressive to see for sure. You know there's not many people that have walked out the airport after they picked up their bags here without some form of screening. And again that profiling gives you a lot more confidence in how well or their ability to pick up incursion, potential incursions I suppose.

Jason Strong. Meat & Livestock Australia

I wasn't too concerned about the capability of our biosecurity system and I think the way we should be approaching this is there's this massive increase in awareness and this heightened level of concern but we've got a very good biosecurity system. So I think everybody's doing everything we can but it's also important in the current environment that we every day think about what else can we do?

Jane Weatherley. Integrity Systems Company

The number of dogs that are there was really impressive as well and clearly there, you know, they're trained to be able to pick things up that we normally couldn't, and the efficiency that that creates as well so by you know being able to screen a lot of people in a very short period of time is brilliant.

Vikki Fischer. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Biosecurity and Compliance Group

I think travellers are doing a fantastic job. Unfortunately, some have come back with products that they shouldn't have and the full force of the law is there and they've received infringement notices and some of them have to pay significant dollar values there, so there's a 12 penalty units that's $2,264 dollars.

John Roberts. Australian Wool Innovation

Be rest assured that there's a very dedicated group of people here who are really professional and treating people with dignity but also making sure they go through a really rigorous process. And my message would be, keep your foot on the pedal, it’s critically important, we get this right. And we don't take our eye off the ball. It's really good stuff.

Vikki Fischer. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Biosecurity and Compliance Group

Thank you for working with us industry and that goes for travellers and airports and tourism sector as well. There is a big thank you. There’s always more we can do, we’re all responsible here, but the Australian Government is doing everything we can to keep FMD out of the country.

Depending on the nature of the incursion and how quickly it is reported and can be contained, the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer may declare a national livestock standstill initially for a period of 3 days (72 hours). Stopping the movement of all susceptible livestock is a critical response activity that will slow the disease spread, and allow authorities to conduct urgent surveillance activities and trace the movement of affected livestock.

A national livestock standstill would be considered a national emergency and announced through a range of media and other communication channels. Government agencies, livestock industries and other agricultural organisations would also provide information about the standstill directly to their members and stakeholders.

Depending on the disease situation, the standstill may be extended beyond the initial 72 hours. If a decision is made to lift the national livestock standstill, individual states and territories may choose to maintain the standstill in their jurisdiction.

Movement restrictions may also apply to products. In the case on an FMD outbreak, this may include wool and dairy products.

Information and announcements for all emergency animal disease situations are published on the Outbreak website.

The primary means of eradicating an FMD outbreak is destroying infected animals humanely (also referred to as stamping out). This is the default policy under AUSVETPLAN.

The aim of stamping out is to ensure that animals on infected farms are quarantined (to contain infection on the premises) and susceptible animals are destroyed to limit the spread of the virus.

In accordance with AUSVETPLAN, carcasses and any contaminated products would be disposed of to prevent further transmission of infection in a way that doesn’t adversely affect the environment or the community. This may include burial.

Australia has an overseas FMD vaccine bank and vaccine is available for use if there is an incursion in Australia.

FMD vaccines can reduce the susceptibility of animals to becoming infected if exposed to the virus.

Movement controls and removal of infected animals (along with other complementary control measures such as cleaning and disinfection) are essential to eradicate this disease. Vaccination can be an important tool to assist in containing and eradicating FMD, but its use may have implications for Australia regaining its FMD free status, which may affect our ability to export animals and animal products.