Avian Influenza

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON (15:04): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries about eggs.

Leave granted.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Already coping with a cost-of-living-crisis, the people of South Australia are now facing egg shortages and steep prices as a result of avian influenza impacting supply, especially for cage eggs. While not yet in South Australia, it is essential that avian influenza is kept out. My questions to the minister are:

1. What scenario exercises have been done to date in preparation for outbreak response?

2. What support systems are in place in preparation for a response, such as movement tracking and restriction on birds and eggs, should an outbreak occur?

3. What knowledge and resources are in place?

4. Is there a ready mechanism for rapid communication with South Australian egg producers?

5. How many dedicated staff are ready and available for a response?

6. What dedicated resources are available?

7. Is the minister going to close the last cage egg facilities?

The Hon. C.M. Scriven: What was the last one?

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Is the minister going to close the cage egg facilities?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for her question. Avian influenza is, of course, a significant risk to Australia and to South Australia. We are fortunate that the strain that has been causing such significant issues around the world, including impacting on human health, has not made it here to Australia.

In February, on the 8^th, Agriculture Victoria confirmed the H7 strain—H7 bird flu—in poultry at an egg farm in northern Victoria, which is near the town of Euroa, and since then another three poultry egg properties have been confirmed with the same virus. But they have all been within the same five-kilometre radius, indicating that they are all linked and connected. All properties were quarantined and a declared area was put in place to prevent movements that could spread the virus.

This is a new outbreak and different from the strains that were experienced in 2024 in Victoria and NSW and the ACT. Those outbreaks affected 16 properties from May to July last year, and they were eradicated. I would just emphasise again that there have been no bird flu detections in South Australia.

There is a nationally agreed response plan to control and eradicate HPAI, and that has been implemented, including movement restrictions for poultry, poultry products and equipment within the affected area. Exemptions are in place that allow vehicles transporting livestock and other agricultural products to travel through the declared areas.

It's certainly the case that the national layer hen flock has been significantly impacted by the 2024 outbreaks, and obviously the most recent outbreaks will also pose a level of disruption to supply. The egg industry reports that while there had been a significant recovery from the 2024 outbreak, obviously this new outbreak will have some impact.

Avian influenza is a highly infectious disease caused by influenza A viruses. They are capable of infecting birds and mammals, including humans, and strains are described as either low pathogenicity or high pathogenicity. In terms of surveillance and preparedness activities, they are a high priority for PIRSA. There are already activities underway to help protect the South Australian poultry industry, including:

ongoing surveillance to support early detection of HPAI;

significant focused operational preparedness and planning for any detection of HPAI in South Australia;

purchase of supplies and equipment to support an immediate response—that includes things like PPE, decontamination chemicals and equipment and disposal monitoring equipment;

the procurement of a mass depopulation unit, mobile laboratory and decontamination units to be deployed as required;

ensuring that processes for engaging with other relevant agencies are well defined to support a response; and

planning for staffing and resourcing requirements to effectively and safely support a significant response should we have an outbreak here.

PIRSA staff were deployed in the 2024 outbreak to go to Victoria. That was partly, of course, to support our interstate colleagues but also, very importantly, to bring back valuable experience and learnings from the Victorian response. There's also a national agreement for HPAI H5 in wildlife.

I guess the thing to really remember is that these sorts of risks are ever increasing. The virus is spread through wild birds, and obviously we cannot have control over that. What we can do is continue to be as prepared as possible to implement the sorts of things that I have just referred to and to maintain a strong surveillance program within our state.