Animalplan 2022 to 2027: Australia’s National Action Plan for Production Animal Health

Develop economic analyses and epidemiological modelling tools:

• Carcass Disposal - Destroy and Let Lie: The establishment of this collaborative research project will build on previous research to examine if natural carcass decomposition processes effectively inactivate pathogens such as African swine fever, under Australian conditions. The findings will inform strategic decision-making within emergency animal disease outbreaks affecting feral animals and have the potential to enable significant savings in carcass management time and costs associated with response activities. Project contact: R Grob, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Robyn.Grob@daf.qld.gov.au
• Feral pig modelling: Feral pig spatial modelling will be used to better understand feral pig distributions and their ecology, and will enable cost-effective strategies for feral pig management. The data generated by this project will inform strategic decision-making within biosecurity incident responses affecting feral and domestic pig populations. Project contact: R Grob, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Robyn.Grob@daf.qld.gov.au

Implement recommendations from emergency responses:

• Enhancing decision making on EAD operations: Emergency animal diseases (EADs) pose a significant threat to Australian livestock production as a single outbreak of an emergency disease could halt our export market and have devastating impacts to the affected sectors. Whilst all efforts are being undertaken to prevent these diseases entering Australia, it remains critical that we are prepared if an outbreak does happen. This project looks at building critical awareness around these issues, the impacts that could occur and developing resources and training to aid decision making and planning on a national cross-sectoral basis. Project contact: Animal Health Australia, Industry Forum Emergency Animal Disease Working Group (IFEADWG), aha@animalhealthaustralia.com.au
• EAD Crisis Management Planning: Crisis management plans are an important tool for livestock industries to have available to them given the ongoing biosecurity threats to Australia’s borders. However, it is unclear to what extent these plans exist across livestock sectors, or if they would provide sufficient guidance to a sector in an EAD incursion. This project aims to conduct a stocktake of existing resources and to form a collaborative approach between government and industry (across a wide range of species) to develop new templates and resources that holistically address the actions and events that may take place in an EAD crisis. Resources developed will then be made accessible to industry and government to provide ongoing training and exercise support via a purpose-built portal. Project contact: Animal Health Australia, Industry Forum Emergency Animal Disease Working Group (IFEADWG), aha@animalhealthaustralia.com.au

Operationalise AUSVETPLAN:

• Disposal priority project focusing on pyrolysis and composting as methods for large animal disposal: Composting provides an alternative to burning and deep burial that is a biosecure and environmentally sound method of disposal. Further evaluation of this method is required to ensure it is practical and operational in a large animal disease response.
  • Composting: A field trial has been successfully completed at the Rivalea piggery in Corowa (NSW), providing important preliminary data on process performance and insight into how grinding and composting could be implemented effectively in an EAD outbreak.
  • Pyrolysis: This project found that pyrolysis can be used as a method for pig carcass disposal as it effectively treated the carcasses at temperatures that would eliminate significant pig pathogens. Project contact: B Stein, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Animal.biosecurity@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Completed Projects

• Risk assessment for the introduction of Lumpy skin disease (LSD) into Australia through non-regulated pathways: A summary is available on the DAFF website: Improving our understanding of the risks of LSD incursions via non-regulated pathways - DAFF (agriculture.gov.au). Project contact: Animal Health Policy (ADPR), DAFF, adpr@aff.gov.au
• Virtual Reality to support Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) training (Phase 2): For public information about the project, please see: agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/animal/health/virtual-reality. Project contact: DAFF, vrfmd@aff.gov.au

Laboratory capability and preparedness General

• Sample Tracking and Reporting System (STARS) enhancement: This project will redevelop the CSIRO-STARS network for enhanced biosecurity and laboratory management system interoperability at both national and jurisdictional levels. The expansion of software capability and improved performance to facilitate integration of a wider group of users to the network will improve Australia’s ability to respond to EAD outbreaks. Project contact: A Bowers, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness – CSIRO, animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au
• Northern Australia’s biosecurity sequencing (NABSeq) high throughput sequencing (HTS) network: This important project aims to improve northern Australia’s ability to identify and respond to future biosecurity challenges; and provide more effective biosecurity risk management through modernisation of disease detection resources and surveillance in the region. Project contact: M Sistrom, Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory, Mark.Sistrom@nt.gov.au
• Australian Biosecurity Genomic Database for notifiable terrestrial animal viruses (Phase 2): This project will develop a genomic database of notifiable terrestrial animal disease viruses in Australia and facilitate a more robust and efficient application of High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) for Australian biosecurity surveillance and disease detection. Project Contact: P Mee, AgriBio, Agriculture Victoria, Peter.Mee@agriculture.vic.gov.au.
• Development & evaluation of a POC test network for emergency animal disease diagnosis: This project will develop a suite of tests on a portable, battery-operated multiplexing qPCR platform for the detection of major emergency diseases of cattle and pigs and establish a proof-of-concept for multiplexing qPCR assays for emergency animal pathogens suitable for use under field conditions. Project contact: DAFF, Animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au
• National laboratory simulation exercise (Exercise Waterhole): Following a scoping report completed in 2022, Exercise Waterhole will include a series of discussion workshops over September/October 2023 and conclude with a functional exercise in early November 2023. The exercise activities are designed to test and evaluate Australia’s national laboratory preparedness for a major emergency animal disease incursion across the spectrum of laboratory services in Australia, and will incorporate a dual disease scenario involving a primary outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in northern Australia, and a concurrent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in southern Australia. The objectives of the exercise are to:
  • Practice the application of animal health laboratory regulations and legislation in the event of a major animal disease incursion across Australia
  • Confirm that Australia has sufficient laboratory capacity and capability to manage the demands of multiple concurrent high impact Emergency Animal Diseases (EADs) across Australia
  • Assess the effectiveness of communication and information management arrangements within and between Australian animal health laboratories
  • Identify resource and logistical constraints that may impact on Australia’s animal health laboratories, when responding to multiple concurrent high impact EADs. Project contact: DAFF, animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au

Enhancing diagnostic capability for lumpy skin disease:

• Developing an immunohistochemistry test for lumpy skin disease: This Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) project will develop and characterise an immunohistochemistry (IHC) test for the diagnosis and investigation of lumpy skin disease virus. Project contact: J Bingham, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness – CSIRO, animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au
• Evaluation of antibody-detecting immunoassays for lumpy skin disease in cattle and buffalo: This project will evaluate the suitability of 3 antibody detection Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for lumpy skin disease surveillance, and proof-of-freedom testing, in cattle and buffalo in Australia. The ELISA kits will be made available for use by Australian laboratories via the Laboratories Emergency Animal Disease Diagnosis and Response (LEADDR) network. Project contact: T Bowden, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness – CSIRO, animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au
• Lumpy skin disease testing capacity building in the Laboratories Emergency Animal Disease Diagnosis and Response (LEADDR) network: This project will reinforce and extend Australia’s lumpy skin disease testing capability by strengthening the capability of ACDP to participate in international proficiency testing and facilitating a robust and quality-assured national capability through implementation of proficiency testing and NQC monitoring for the disease via (LEADDR) Network. Project contact: DAFF, animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au

Enhancing diagnostic capability for other diseases:

• Establishing networked serological testing capability for African swine fever: This project will establish an improved serological testing capability for African swine fever in Australia by harmonising quality assurance processes and antibody-detection ELISA capability via the LEADDR network. Project contact: DAFF, animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au
• MicroRNA biomarkers for improved detection of animal diseases in a Johne’s disease model: This project will evaluate the use of host microRNA for detection of Johne’s disease in cattle and will provide a proof of concept for the potential extension of this approach to other exotic EADs. Project contact: C Stewart, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, CSIRO, Cameron.Stewart@csiro.au.

Completed Projects

• Consultancy for policies, strategies and operating guidelines for point of care (POC) testing for infectious disease: This project supports the development of a nationally consistent management approach towards the use of POC tests specific for national notifiable and reportable diseases in terrestrial and aquatic animals in Australia. Project contact: DAFF, animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au
• Developing lumpy skin disease and African horse sickness whole genome sequencing workflows: This project will develop robust whole genome sequencing procedures for both lumpy skin disease and African horse sickness viruses to mitigate the consequences of their outbreaks in Australia. The genomic sequencing probes and procedures, now available at the Australian Centre for Disease Prevention, will be an invaluable resource in the event of a Lumpy skin disease outbreak in Australia. Project contact: M Neave, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness – CSIRO, animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au
• National laboratory simulation exercise planning: The Subcommittee on Animal Health Laboratory Standards (SCAHLS), through leadership of DAFF and an expert consultant, have completed the process of finalising a business plan to guide the roadmap for a national laboratory-focused simulation exercise. This exercise will assist in the identification of training and means by which to improve the surge capacity of Australian animal health laboratory networks in response to major emergency animal disease (EAD) outbreaks can be improved. The progress towards developing the Exercise Program based on the business plan’s report and recommendations is now underway. Project contact: DAFF, animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au

Completed Projects

• Smallholder risk and communication research: The pilot project in New South Wales will test (and refine) an efficient, data-driven approach to locating smallholders (including pig owners) and determining their biosecurity risk level and engagement needs. Project contact: S Thomson, DAFF, adpr@aff.gov.au
• Building EAD preparedness in domestic abattoirs: The former Minister for Agriculture, Minister Littleproud, made a statement on this project on 12 October 2021, this statement can be found here. Project contacts: T Scanlan, DAFF, adpr@aff.gov.au

• Mitigating on-farm antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risks for livestock industries: This project aims to improve the understanding in Australia of the transmission pathways and biosecurity priorities for mitigating AMR risks in livestock enterprises. This project will provide livestock producers with a framework to assess the risk of AMR transmission into, within or out of their enterprises. It will allow them to make informed changes to reduce the risk of spread of AMR and improve biosecurity. Project contact: P Coombe, Coombe Consulting, peter@coombeconsulting.com.au
• Antimicrobial resistance survey in the pig industry: A repeat AMR survey in the Australian pig industry is commencing and will provide data to compare to previous surveys for monitoring and quality assurance purposes. Project contact: R Chia, Australian Pork Limited, raymond.chia@australianpork.com.au

• Project information pending.

• Australian Agriculture Sustainability Framework (AASF): The purpose of the AASF is to communicate the sustainability status and goals of the Australian agricultural sector to markets and to the community. It will provide the whole-of-Australian agriculture narrative about sustainability to assist in market access and it will provide a translation layer to assist supply chain companies, finance and investors to better understand and report on Australian agricultural sustainability. Project contacts: Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework - National Farmers' Federation (nff.org.au)

• Australian Agricultural Traceability Alliance: The Australian Agricultural Traceability Alliance is a coalition of partners, who have an invested interest in national agricultural traceability and to accelerate Australia’s journey in exceeding $100 billion of farmgate output by 2030 and beyond. The Alliance aims to ensure strong industry and cross-jurisdictional engagement and provide the right foundations for traceability initiatives to be successful. They will also translate policy into practice across the entire agricultural supply chain. Project contact: DAFF, Australian Agricultural Traceability Alliance.
• Agricultural Traceability Enhancement: Australian Government contribution: Agricultural traceability is a shared responsibility between industry, governments and the broader agricultural supply-chain participants. The Australian Government has committed over $100 million to enhancing agricultural traceability. Activities will support action to meet the objectives of the National Agricultural Traceability Strategy 2023 to 2033. Project contact: L Nind, DAFF, nationaltraceabilitysummit@aff.gov.au.

The Animalplan Steering Committee (SC) held its 3rd meeting via videoconference on 4 June 2021. The SC approved its business plan without further amendment.

The (then) Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) reported to the SC that it will be seeking endorsement of Animalplan from Animal Health Committee and the National Biosecurity Committee, to be followed by the Agricultural Senior Officials Committee and the Agriculture Ministers’ Forum. While those endorsements are in progress, graphic designers in DAWE will be working on a final version that will include images submitted by members of the SC.

The SC discussed their approach to the Animalplan’s 21 activities and noted the activities with potential links to new biosecurity-related projects in DAWE.

Members were allocated tasks to help determine how to progress development of projects for Animalplan activities. These tasks include further defining the details of the problems to be solved for each activity, as well as determining the scope of existing or planned work for each activity.

The SC noted that the Chair would be presenting an update on the progress of Animalplan on behalf of the committee at the Australian Biosecurity Symposium at the Gold Coast on 26-28 October 2021.

The Animalplan steering committee held its 4th meeting via videoconference on 22 July 2021.

The steering committee noted that the Animalplan document is being considered by Animal Health Committee (AHC). The next step will be submission to the National Biosecurity Committee. The development of an accessible version and design version is in progress.

The steering committee noted that the (then) Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is developing the program of work for the additional biosecurity funding it will be receiving from government. The work covers development of new tests, new technologies, strengthening data collection and sharing systems for surveillance work, intelligence gathering, and strengthening preparedness and response to incursions within Australia and with our neighbours.

The steering committee worked through the next steps to be taken to progress 10 of the Animalplan activities. The Chair is planning to speak about Animalplan at Animal Health Australia’s Industry Forum when it meets in September 2021.

The Animalplan steering committee (SC) held its 5th meeting via videoconference on 14 October 2021. The Chair welcomed participants and acknowledged the traditional custodians of the land and paid their respects to elders past, present and emerging.

The Chair gave an overview of progress made by industry and government on identifying and setting priorities for Animalplan activities. The committee agreed it is important that Animalplan activities have a national focus.

The Chair reported that their recent meetings with Animal Health Committee and with Animal Health Australia’s Industry Forum had been very constructive.

Instead of going line by line through a prioritisation of activities in this meeting it was instead decided that the secretariat would continue to obtain information about each project for committee members.

The committee asked that the department determine what resources would be required to have project reporting templates done by the next SC meeting or to coincide with the launch of Animalplan.

The Chair thanked members who had commented on the Animalplan design draft and noted that those comments would be considered by the department’s design team in its future work on the design draft. Subject to endorsement from NBC, AGSOC and agriculture ministers, it is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

The Chair reported that they had recently presented to the AHA Industry Forum and that their presentation about Animalplan had been sent by email to all committee members.

The committee noted that the position of Deputy Chair has now been filled.

The Animalplan steering committee (the committee) held its 6th meeting via videoconference on 3 December 2021. The Chair welcomed participants and acknowledged the traditional owners of the lands on which the meeting was being held, and any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who may be attending the meeting.

The secretariat presented approximately 10 completed project updates. The committee noted good progress with this work. In future, the committee will request project updates 2 to 3 weeks prior to each meeting. A flow diagram or similar is expected to be developed based on the committee’s draft processes and procedures document.

The committee’s preference is that future meeting summaries emphasise the proactive work of the committee, including actions and achievements. Consideration will be given to including links to other organisations’ websites, where possible.

The committee was advised of potentially relevant project proposals involving the wool industry. The committee discussed whether the scope of these could be broadened, so that they align more comprehensively with Animalplan. This may be possible if the projects are approached as pilots for further work with potential to attract further funding. The committee noted that while single-species projects are within the scope of Animalplan, options to broaden their scope should be the priority to align with Animalplan objectives.

The (then) Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) informed the committee that Agricultural Innovation Australia had recently advised of a potential connection between the organisation’s interests in innovation and the department’s work on biosecurity. This was noted.

The committee also noted that a number of initiatives are underway involving sustainability, including the National Farmers’ Federation’s Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework, and growAG. These efforts were currently meeting the needs of the related Animalplan objective with the potential for future efforts to expand to further meet this priority.

The Chair reported that the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Mark Schipp, had included a reference to Animalplan in his keynote address at the recent Australian Veterinary Antimicrobial Stewardship Conference. The Chair informed the committee that she has applied to speak at the 2nd National Biosecurity Symposium at the Gold Coast on 3-5 May 2022. The committee discussed the potential advantages of developing a communications strategy to engage with key stakeholders.

It is anticipated that some stakeholders who have strategic plans that connect and align with Animalplan will be invited to briefly present at future committee meetings.

The secretariat reported that the Animalplan document is expected to be endorsed in the coming days by the National Biosecurity Committee (NBC). It will go to Agriculture Senior Officials for consideration and endorsement in the New Year. Once Animalplan is endorsed, expanded promotions can commence, along with efforts to prioritise projects for investment.

The committee noted that reporting to NBC about progress of work would be an appropriate approach to reporting, and that this would need to be incorporated into the work plan.

The Chair thanked everyone for their contributions to Animalplan during the year.

The Animalplan steering committee (the committee) held its 7th meeting by videoconference on 25 February 2022. The Chair noted that the committee had been in operation for a year and recognised its achievements and acknowledged the secretariat’s work. Since the committee’s meeting in November 2021, the secretariat reported that it had been informed of Animalplan’s out-of-session endorsement by the National Biosecurity Committee. Out-of-session endorsement from the Agriculture Senior Officials’ Committee was sought in February 2022.

The Chair proposed that for the future, project ideas from state/territory governments be contributed through Animal Health Committee, and industry/other proposals come via the relevant peak industry organisation. The committee adopted the Chair’s proposal as a model for collecting new project ideas.

The committee noted the Chair had received submissions proposing priorities from Animal Health Committee and Animal Health Australia’s Industry Forum Emergency Animal Diseases Working Group (IFEAWG). The committee also noted that at least 4 of the IFEADWG priorities align with AHC and Animalplan priorities. Animal Health Australia (AHA) agreed to convene a workshop of relevant stakeholders (late April/early May) to identify 2 or 3 clearly scoped project ideas, with identified project leads, timelines, funding sources and budgets.

The committee noted and discussed the written project updates circulated by the secretariat. Members appreciated the visibility of projects underway, and this was useful for informing discussions and recommendations. These projects will be made available on the Animalplan website.

The Chair updated the committee on the outcomes of recent meetings with representatives of Agricultural Innovation Australia, Veterinary Schools of Australia and New Zealand, AHA and the Animal Industries' Antimicrobial Stewardship R,D&E Strategy. These meeting increased respective understanding of each group’s roles and priorities.

The secretariat reported on the development of the National Biosecurity Strategy and the Chair’s meeting with the relevant (then) Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment team developing the strategy. The strategy is expected to include an acknowledgment of Animalplan.

The Chair drew attention to the updated committee processes and procedures, and invited comments from members. The Chair then thanked committee members and the secretariat for their contributions, and closed the meeting.

The Animalplan Steering Committee (the Committee) held its 8th meeting by videoconference on 27 May 2022. The Chair welcomed participants and acknowledged the traditional owners of the lands on which the meeting was being held, and any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who may be attending the meeting.

The Secretariat reported (through the Chair) that the then Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (now Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) intends to discuss ministerial endorsement and implementation of Animalplan 2022–2027 with the incoming Commonwealth Government agriculture minister.

The Chair informed the Committee of 2 half-day workshops which were held on 23 May 2022 involving members of the Committee, Animal Health Committee (AHC), and Animal Health Australia’s Industry Forum, to progress project proposals to improve emergency animal disease (EAD) responses. Workshop 1 considered crisis management plans and Workshop 2 discussed enhanced decision making in EAD operations. The Chair reported that the workshops had been very constructive with 14 industry groups coming together. However, neither workshop reached a final plan for a project, and the Chair asked Committee members to reflect on the discussion and consider how the workshops can inform future deliberations. The Chair also reported that recent emergency animal disease events and risks resulted in a greater reliance on in-kind contributions, but this would not be sustainable. The Chair summarised the discussion by emphasising the high level of reliance on goodwill, the need for succession planning and for greater advocacy for Animalplan’s objectives in immediate circumstances and the longer term. The Deputy Chair observed that the aim should be to develop a strategy to overcome the immediate problems and that influencing decision makers at the political level will also be important.

The Chair reported a good response from key stakeholders to the requests for updates. The Committee reviewed the project updates and noted the instances where the Committee could provide advice or contribute in other ways. The Committee agreed that stakeholders should be able to contact the project leaders directly, via the Animalplan website and that the contact details of project leaders should be displayed against each project, where they have consented.

The Committee noted that the Animalplan website (agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/animal/health/animal-plan) had been updated and the number of page views had increased. After discussing other communication options, the Committee agreed that consideration should be given to a workshop or symposium later in 2022 to update the stakeholder group that contributed to the development of Animalplan.

The Chair thanked Committee members and the secretariat for their contributions and closed the meeting.

The Animalplan Steering Committee (the Committee) held its 9th meeting by videoconference on 26 August 2022. The Chair welcomed participants and acknowledged the traditional owners of the lands on which the meeting was being held, and any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who may be attending the meeting.

The Secretariat reported that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is seeking ministerial endorsement from Minister Watt’s office and State and Territory Agriculture ministers. If State and Territory Ministers’ endorsement is sought out of session this is a 3-to-4-week process.

The Chair invited suggestions for suitable avenues for the announcement and launch of Animalplan. The suggestions received included the National Biosecurity Forum in November 2022 and Animal Health Australia’s (AHA) 20-year celebration of the EADRA – as part of AHA’s meeting week in September 2022. Members also indicated a preference that key stakeholder groups be informed in advance of the launch, and that they be provided with media points for distribution within their organisations to use in communications with their stakeholders.

The Chair noted the preference to convene an online forum or symposium, of 2-3 hours duration after Animalplan 2022 to 2027 has been launched. The Committee agreed that a virtual format would make the event more widely accessible and maximise participation by key stakeholder organisations. This will provide an opportunity for the leaders of projects that align with Animalplan to participate as presenters. The Committee agreed that the forum should be convened before the end of year (2022).

The Chair provided a summary the rigorous industry-government stakeholder consultation process that was used in developing the 2 proposals which were submitted by the Industry Forum Emergency Animal Diseases Working Group for the Committee’s consideration. Members discussed the proposal on crisis management planning and discussed options for funding including from the Commonwealth and industry. The Committee indicated its support for the project proposals and discussed potential avenues of funding.

The Chair indicated that there are very few direct sources of cash funding, with much of the industry contributions being in-kind. Also, it was not to be expected that the Commonwealth be the sole funding contributor for all projects that align with Animalplan. A key objective for Animalplan is to bring people and resources together from the different networks to progress priorities, and these priorities should be about making progress in using a cooperative approach. The Committee noted that there will likely be an indication before the next meeting as to how the 2 projects could be funded. The aim of Animalplan will be to achieve clarify around who and what is being done in the terrestrial agricultural animal health sector space whilst minimising potential duplication of activities.

The Chair thanked Committee members and the secretariat for their contributions and closed the meeting.

The Animalplan Steering Committee held its 10th meeting by videoconference on 24 November 2022. The chair welcomed participants and acknowledged the traditional owners of the lands on which the meeting was being held.

The secretariat reported that a joint announcement of Animalplan and AQUAPLAN was expected to be made shortly and would be followed up with social media posts.

The chair noted that replacements would be needed for themself and other committee members from March 2023. The deputy chair advised that they could continue in the deputy chair role. It was proposed that the chair extend their term for another 12 months. This proposal was supported by members.

An updated steering committee terms of reference had been distributed to members prior to the meeting for comment. The committee noted the contribution made by Animal Health Australia (AHA) and members of the AHA Industry Forum, who represent intensive and extensive industry sectors.

The secretariat advised the committee that the proposed webinar to launch Animalplan had been rescheduled to 1 March 2023, given that the launch announcement was still pending, and several speaker slots on the webinar program remained to be filled. The secretariat will explore the possibility of a joint webinar covering both Animalplan and AQUAPLAN.

The chair drew members’ attention to recent project updates. The chair proposed starting a newsletter to raise awareness and assist project leads in networking with other Animalplan stakeholders.

DAFF reported on the progress of the National Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) Action Plan (the Action Plan), emphasising the extent of alignment of the objectives of the Action Plan and Animalplan. Committee members noted that some projects from both plans will directly support each other’s objectives. Committee members also noted there is scope to build on the LSD Action Plan activities to ensure they provide value to the biosecurity sector beyond LSD preparedness.

The committee discussed efforts to secure funding for project proposals that had been raised at the committee’s previous meetings. Three projects related to emergency response are awaiting funding. These efforts to secure funding are complicated by the fact that these projects are not industry or disease specific.

The chair thanked committee members and the secretariat for their contributions and closed the meeting.

The Animalplan Steering Committee held its 11th meeting by videoconference on 17 February 2023. The chair welcomed participants and acknowledged the traditional owners of the lands on which the meeting was being held.

The chair reported on the recruitment of new members to the committee, including options for future livestock sector representation in light of the developing connections with the National Lumpy Skin Disease Action Plan (LSD Action Plan). Members discussed how the LSD Action Plan, and other action plans that are being finalised, will align with Animalplan and connect into the Animalplan network. The committee considered the Terms of Reference to be finalised.

The chair noted that the Animalplan web page has been updated, and that some queries had come through to them, which was a positive sign that people were visiting the site and wanting to engage.

The chair proposed ad hoc reporting to the National Biosecurity Committee (NBC), at least once per year and preferably 6-monthly for the next year or so (the first year of Animalplan). Members agreed reporting should focus on achievements and identify key issues.

The chair reported that they had given a verbal update to Animal Health Committee at a recent meeting, and met with the consultants rolling out the Decade of Biosecurity about synergies and potential linkages.

Two project proposals for preparedness have been through a rigorous process of workshopping between industry and government stakeholders and the goal is for other key stakeholders to go through a similar process of engagement and input in designing projects that address activities listed in Animalplan. Members noted that the environment for funding is tough at present for activities that are not threat-specific.

Guest of the committee Dr Brant Smith of DAFF reported on the implementation of the National LSD Action Plan, working with the National LSD Action Plan Advisory Committee, which is co-chaired by DAFF and the Red Meat Advisory Council. 22 of the 27 activities are underway with a 3-to 5 year horizon. Dr Smith drew attention to the scope for the Steering Committee to provide advice including leveraging opportunities and resources. Dr Smith envisaged the committee taking an oversight role in the implementation of the plan at a relatively high level. Comments were invited from the committee on this proposed arrangement.

In response to a question about reporting to industry, Dr Smith said he anticipates the information will be publicly available, subject to any confidentiality issues by exception. Members noted that there might be trade-related sensitivities that would need to be managed.

Dr Smith assured the committee that adequate secretariat support would be provided to the committee for its work, including where it connects with the LSD Action Plan.

New committee member Mr Sam Brown, CEO of Agricultural Innovation Australia, joined the meeting and introduced himself, and said he is looking forward to sharing insights with the other members of the committee.

The committee discussed monitoring and evaluation, and agreed that this should include a high-level perspective on stakeholder engagement, whether the plan has inspired or facilitated new bodies of work, enhanced work that is already happening, established new connections between individuals or teams, or contributed in other way (s) to Australian production animal industries.

The chair thanked committee members and the secretariat for their contributions and closed the meeting.

The Animalplan Steering Committee held its 12th meeting by videoconference on 9 June 2023. The Chair welcomed participants and acknowledged the traditional owners of the lands on which the meeting was being held.

The Chair introduced a new secretariat member and committee members supported the nomination from Australia Pork Limited of Tanya Pittard joining the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee agreed to amend the Terms of Reference to support a rotational representation from industry members, to ensure all industry groups have a chance at representation. Adam Dawes and Mark Schipp advised that they would be stepping down from the Steering Committee. Beth Cookson, the Deputy Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, will take Mark Schipp’s place.

The Chair noted meeting with multiple project leaders including the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s (DAFF) Traceability Alliance and Animal antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Action Plan. The Secretariat will maintain engagement as these initiatives progress.

The Deputy Chair reported on their presentation to the recent Animal Health Committee meeting. The update provided on Animalplan had been well-received.

The Chair noted that a number of projects in the compendium have been completed and that these could potentially provide a source of material for a future webinar showcasing completed projects. The Committee discussed the record keeping of completed projects.

Guest of the Committee, Jarrad Sanderson from DAFF, summarised the 2nd Progress Report of the National Lumpy Skin Disease Action Plan that had been circulated to committee members before the meeting. The 2nd Progress Report was cleared for public release.

The Chair thanked Committee members and the Secretariat for their contributions and closed the meeting.

The Animalplan Steering Committee held its 13th meeting by videoconference on 25 August 2023. The chair welcomed participants and acknowledged the traditional owners of the lands on which the meeting was being held.

The Chair reported that the Terms of Reference for the committee have been updated and will be circulated out of session. The committee noted that a representative from Traceability Alliance will be invited to present on successes and challenges in projects related to Animalplan speak at a future meeting and noted the importance of webinars in promoting the work taking place under Animalplan.

Guest of the committee, Dr Samantha Ellis from DAFF, gave a presentation on the draft Australia’s Animal Sector Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan 2023 to 2028, which is a key activity under Objective 4 of Animalplan. Members discussed the challenges of measuring the use of antimicrobials, and the issues with recording data on antimicrobial use. Members noted and discussed the difference between a “plan” and a “target” in an action plan on antimicrobials. The AMR Action Plan is expected to be released in October 2023.

The committee discussed recommendations on the development and structure of quarterly progress reports, planning for the commissioning of projects, and the continued implementation of Animalplan 2022 to 2027 more broadly. Members drew attention to the effort that would be involved in preparing quarterly progress reports if a similar approach was taken to the National Lumpy Skin Disease Action Plan – which to date has been well received and beneficial to stakeholders. The committee agreed that quarterly progress reports should commence, and DAFF agreed to take the lead as part of the secretariat role.

The committee noted that Animalplan and associated projects will be a key focus in the upcoming Animal Health Australia Industry Forum and Animal Health Committee during the face-to-face meetings in Canberra in September 2023. DAFF will be taking the lead in both forums with the support of the committee Chair and deputy Chair.

The Chair thanked committee members and the secretariat for their contributions and closed the meeting.

The Animalplan Steering Committee held its 14th meeting by videoconference on 7 December 2023. The Chair welcomed participants and acknowledged the traditional owners of the land on which the meeting was being held.

A representative of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry introduced the Animalplan Implementation Plan, which outlines the structure and focus of the Steering Committee for 2024. The purpose of this document is to be in conjunction with the progress reports to consolidate and add a forward-looking driver for key priority areas, aligning investment decisions and pipeline project activity. The Implementation Plan for 2024 was endorsed by the Steering Committee.

Members discussed modelling vector surveillance and the power that this may provide to policy discussions and biosecurity measures. Members noted that Animalplan may not be the correct forum to identify gaps, rather to pick up activities already identified as cross-industry that are not being appropriately addressed to minimise duplication and increase communication. Members agreed that the progress reports are a good opportunity to keep track of programs and identify where funding may be needed.

The Chair reiterated to importance of the members roles in the Steering Committee, it is important that key stakeholder groups aligning with members are identified to discuss progress reports as well as projects and funding.

The Chair thanked Steering Committee members and the Secretariat for their contribution and closed the meeting.