Australia free from H7 avian influenza

The Albanese Labor Government continues to ensure a strong biosecurity system with Australia declared free of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) to the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Protecting Australia from biosecurity threats is crucial, and the H7 HPAI outbreaks that occurred in 2024 have now been eradicated in Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.  

Reclaiming Australia’s freedom from HPAI is an important avenue to engage trading partners on the full resumption of trade where restrictions may remain in place due to last year’s outbreaks.

The Albanese Labor Government has committed funding of more than $1 billion over four years to Australia’s biosecurity system.

This funding will ensure that for the first time in Australia’s history we have sustainable biosecurity funding to protect our agricultural industry, our natural environment and our way of life.

Australia has successfully contained and eradicated H7 HPAI a number of times in the past 50 years.

This most recent eradication follows no new detections since July last year and underscores the effectiveness of our national emergency animal disease response arrangements.

This was Australia’s most significant avian disease incident to date and the eradication response highlights the importance of the partnership approach to biosecurity across all governments, industry and other stakeholders.

Australia must remain vigilant as a highly contagious and serious strain of H5 HPAI (known as H5 bird flu) is rapidly spreading globally through the movement of migratory wild birds. This strain is not present in Australia.

In recognition of the increased threat of H5 bird flu, the Albanese Labor Government is investing more than $100 million in enhancing national preparedness and response capability.

This will strengthen surveillance, preparedness and response capability and mitigate the impacts of a potential H5 bird flu outbreak on Australian agriculture, environment and human health.

To find out more about the Government’s activities to prepare for H5 bird flu, visit www.birdflu.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP:

“Australia’s national emergency animal disease response arrangements have contained and eradicated the recent outbreaks of H7 HPAI, allowing us to self-declare disease freedom to the World Organisation for Animal Health.

“This is something every Australian should be proud of. It demonstrates that governments and industry are really switched on to the risks and will act quickly to respond to emergency animal disease outbreaks.

“In fact, all previous H7 HPAI outbreaks over the past 50 years have been successfully eradicated, illustrating the strength of our biosecurity system.

“But the rapid spread abroad of a highly contagious and serious H5 bird flu strain, which has killed not only birds but also mammal species across the globe, means we cannot be complacent.

“That is why the Albanese Labor Government announced more than $100 million to strengthen our surveillance, preparedness and response capability. The agriculture, environment and health sectors are working in partnership to collaboratively manage national biosecurity threats that impact all Australians.”