Doorstop in Hobart, Tasmania

E&OE TRANSCRIPT 
DOORSTOP 
HOBART 
FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 2026 

SUBJECTS: Suspected detection of avian influenza, China Beef Safeguard 
 
JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: I thank all of you for coming together this afternoon. I want to provide you with an update that the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is investigating a suspected detection of avian influenza, or bird flu, in a single migratory wild bird that was found sick in an isolated area in southern Western Australia. The initial testing at the Western Australian laboratory has returned a suspected positive result for avian influenza. Samples have now been sent to CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for confirmatory testing, with results expected tomorrow. We cannot confirm yet whether it is the strain of concern that is circulating at this stage, known as the H5 bird flu. There is no evidence of any mass mortality at this time, nor is there any evidence of infection in poultry. Western Australia, as the lead jurisdiction, will coordinate our response with the national coordination led by my Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. A key message for everyone is please do not touch sick or dead birds or animals. If you see multiple sick or dead birds or other animals, please take photos or record it from a safe distance, record their location and go to birdflu.gov.au to report it. I want everyone to know that this is what we have been preparing for. We’ve undertaken a series of national exercises, and we’ve invested $113 million to strengthen our nation’s preparedness for the H5 bird flu, including an additional $11 million in the most recent budget. If it is confirmed to be the H5 bird flu, this will be sobering but not unexpected given the spread globally. I want to reassure the public that we are well placed to respond to and to manage this situation. We have called together a meeting of the states and territories and the industry experts to get together this afternoon, and they are meeting as we speak. It is my intention this afternoon to fly to Canberra to receive further briefings tomorrow, should that be required. I will keep you regularly updated as information comes to hand. But we’re being as transparent and upfront with the Australian public at the earliest opportunity. 
I'll take some questions from everybody on it in a moment, but before I do that, I did also want to make a statement in relation to the fact that China has now confirmed that Australia has reached our 2026 quota allocation under the global safeguard measure on beef imports from all major exporting countries, including Australia. We said at the time when this was imposed that we were very disappointed that there is going to be a safeguard, and we’ve made it clear that Australian beef does not pose a threat to the Chinese domestic beef sector. We have raised this matter directly with China, and we continue to work closely with industry to advocate for our world-class beef exporters and producers. We know that Australia’s beef is in high demand around the world, and we’ll keep supporting industry to diversify and expand markets through the government’s $50 million Accessing New Markets initiative. 
 
Happy to take some questions. 
 
JOURNALIST: What type of bird is it that has the virus, and where did it arrive from? 

COLLINS: So, it’s a migratory bird, a wildlife bird. I can’t say anymore publicly about that at the moment, but I do want to say that this is a migratory wildlife bird. 
 
JOURNALIST: Right. And in terms of the impact to Australia and the agriculture industry, how significant could that economic impact be? 

COLLINS: Well, I’ll reiterate that this is at the moment a single bird with suspected H5 bird flu. It is not yet confirmed whether it is or not the strain that is circulating. And I reiterate that it is not in the poultry system, nor is it the agriculture system. This is a wild migratory bird, and - 
 
JOURNALIST: How prepared is Australia? You’ve said that we’ve known for a long time that this could be coming here. How prepared is the country? 
 
COLLINS: Well, we’ve obviously been working with the states and territories and with industry. We have been running exercises, and we certainly expect that we couldn’t remain H5-free forever as the only continent currently that is free of the H5 bird flu. We know that it has impacted other continents and countries across the globe. We did say at the time that we couldn’t stop it from arriving in Australia because of the migratory bird situation. This is a migratory bird that was ill that has since died and has tested – the initial test has tested for the bird flu. 
 
JOURNALIST: Where exactly was this bird located? 
 
COLLINS: So, it’s in southern western, Western Australia. 
 
JOURNALIST: Can you be any more specific than that? 
 
COLLINS: Not at this point in time, I can’t. 
 
JOURNALIST: Okay. In terms of quarantine zones, is that something that you’re considering? 
 
COLLINS: Well, we’re obviously taking this very seriously. As I said, we’ve got now experts from around the states and territories and from industry. We will take the advice of experts who have been preparing in case it is a confirmed H5 bird flu. So, we are preparing everything as if it is to make sure that we’re as prepared as we can be. This is what we planned for. This is what our investment of the over $100 million was all about. It was about making sure that if it arrived, we detected it early. That if it arrived, we have plans in place to be able to deal with it. Western Australia as the lead jurisdiction, would increase surveillance with some of the other states and territories if it is confirmed. But this will be decided by the experts, and the next steps of action will be decided and determined by the experts. 
 
JOURNALIST: What sort of timeline are we looking at? Do you know how long it will take to confirm whether it is H5? 
 
COLLINS: We expect the results to come in overnight or early tomorrow. 
 
JOURNALIST: If this is H5N1, is it possible to stop the spread of the disease? 
 
COLLINS: Well, we’ll have to wait and see till we know whether or not it’s confirmed. As I’ve said, it is globally – H5N1 has spread globally, and we are currently the only continent free. It has spread across the globe. We’ve always said that we couldn’t keep it out forever. So, it’s about making sure that we’re as prepared as we can be, and that’s what you’ve seen from our government in terms of the investments that we have made, working with states and territories. 
 
JOURNALIST: And what types of animals can be affected by H5N1? 
 
COLLINS: So, obviously it is primarily and predominantly a wild bird and animal disease. So, it is obviously primarily birds and, of course, animals, mammals often, and it has been seen in rare cases to be able to get into agricultural animals in other countries. 

JOURNALIST: Are there any risks to human health? 
 
COLLINS: Only in exceptional, rare cases has it impacted humans. But our government is, of course, doing the One Health approach where we are working with the experts in the Department of Health. We’re working with the experts in the Department of Environment and right across governments at the state and territory level as well as at the Commonwealth level to make sure that we have done everything that we can do to be as prepared as we possibly can be. 
 
JOURNALIST: What’s your advice to primary producers hearing this news tonight? 
 
COLLINS: What I would say is this is a single bird, suspected case. And we are as prepared as any country can be. We have invested early as we said we would, and those investments are now showing fruition in that – you know, if this is detected as a case, we will have gotten there early and we have certainly been investing and working with states and territories and industry. As I’ve said, this is predominantly a wildlife and animal disease. 
 
JOURNALIST: Is there any evidence at this point in time to suggest that there’s more than one bird that may have been carrying this early detected strain of bird flu at all, or is it just the one that you know of at this stage? 
 
COLLINS: We’ve only had one test confirmed, and, as I said, it was in an isolated area of southern-western, Western Australia. 
 
JOURNALIST: Are there other birds that have been tested as well? 
 
COLLINS: There is one test of one other bird. 
 
JOURNALIST: Sorry, why have you decided to test that other bird? 
 
COLLINS: Because it is unwell. 
 
JOURNALIST: Okay, so there are similar symptoms perhaps being suffered by this other bird? 

COLLINS: I’m not the technical expert. I’ve had a briefing today from the Chief Veterinary Officer. I understand that there'll be a lot of technical questions that people want to ask. What I would say is that this is a suspected case. We’re being as transparent with the Australian public at the earliest opportunity. If it is confirmed, I will have further briefings tomorrow and we’ll have technical experts available to be able to take questions. 
 
JOURNALIST: Is it likely that that other bird that’s also sick came into contact with the first bird? 

COLLINS: We are investigating with the Western Australian Government all of those things in relation to the suspected case. 
 
JOURNALIST: Are they both in southwest Western Australia? 
 
COLLINS: Correct. 
 
JOURNALIST: So, they were within a small proximity of each other? 
 
COLLINS: Correct. 

JOURNALIST: Okay. And do you have any details around how quickly their illness was detected upon them suffering symptoms? 
 
COLLINS: We have been working with the Western Australian government. The Western Australian government will lead the response. As I’ve said, the initial test of that one bird has come back as a suspected positive. We have sent it immediately and rushed the tests through the CSIRO’s Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong. We are making sure that that test is done as quickly as possible. So, we're moving as quickly as possible from the time that we became aware. 
 
JOURNALIST: Do you know who discovered the bird? Was it a member of the public? 
 
COLLINS: I don’t know that detail. 
 
JOURNALIST: And just yesterday it was announced that 13,000 baby elephant seals had been killed on Heard and McDonald Islands. Is there any chance that this could have been transmitted from the territorial Southern Ocean? 
 
COLLINS: That is all speculative and I wouldn’t want to speculate until we have the facts before us. We will have the facts by tomorrow about what strain this is, if it is, indeed, H5 bird flu. 
 
JOURNALIST: In terms of the area, you say it’s not particularly well built up, the area where these birds were found, is that right? 

COLLINS: Correct. 

JOURNALIST: Do you have any estimate about how many birds they might have come into contact with or how many wildlife? 
 
COLLINS: Well, as I’ve said, at the moment there has been one bird that has suspected tested positive and there is one other bird that has been tested. We do not have those test results. 

JOURNALIST: And both tests will be rushed through, I assume? 

COLLINS: Correct. 
 
JOURNALIST: Do you know how many sites or locations within southern Western Australia both of these birds or either of them have been at roughly? 
 
COLLINS: We expect and have been informed that they are around the same site. 
 
JOURNALIST: Have they been in multiple sites? Is that a level of detail – 
 
COLLINS: No, not that we’re aware of. 
 
JOURNALIST: The farmers have been hit pretty hard by the impact of the war in the Middle East. This is obviously going to be destabilising news if it is H5N1. What support will there be for the agricultural sector? 
 
COLLINS: Well, through the outbreak of the war in the Middle East and its impact globally, we have been doing everything we can do, working with our farmers and our industry here in Australia to shield them as much as possible. And we’ve done that with fuel excise relief. We’ve done that in terms of securing more diesel shipments for our farmers and more fertiliser for our farmers. We continue to work very closely with them. I have been meeting weekly with the farming sector and the agriculture industry every week in relation to what is occurring. I’ll continue to have my discussions with the industry and with the sector. We’ve obviously also made sure that relevant industry representatives were advised today. 
 
JOURNALIST: Given the location of where these birds were found, is it possible that they came from Heard Island? 
 
COLLINS: Look, I wouldn’t want to speculate until we have the details of the test results. But they are migratory birds. 
 
JOURNALIST: But you’d have a number of locations in mind as to where they came from. Is Heard Island one of those locations? 
 
COLLINS: Look, they’re migratory wild birds. 
 
JOURNALIST: Otherwise on the beef exports, Minister, do you have any further detail on what steps primary producers could or should take in relation to, I guess, this tariff and this barrier that now appears to, I guess, have been established at this point in time? 
 
COLLINS: Well, obviously we made it very clear to the government of China at the time that we were disappointed that we don’t believe our Australian beef exports pose any threat to their domestic market. That remains our position. And certainly, we have been working with the sector, with both the agriculture sector and the beef industry, in terms of diversifying markets. And you’ve seen from our government since we’ve come to office now, we’ve had over 250 market access achievements and record exports this current financial year will be around $86 billion. 
  
JOURNALIST: Is the government considering any sort of compensation for primary producers that might be impacted by this? 
 
COLLINS: Look, we continue to work with the sector and the industry. 
 
JOURNALIST: Just back to the bird for a second, do you know the exact type of bird that it is, that the ill bird that is immediately getting tested? 
 
COLLINS: It’s a migratory wild bird. 
  
JOURNALIST: Do you know more detail than that? 

COLLINS: I do, but I’m not – I can’t make that public at this point in time. 
 
JOURNALIST: Why is that? 
 
COLLINS: It’s just in relation to what needs to be done on the ground in Western Australia. 
 
JOURNALIST: Can you explain that further? 
 
COLLINS: Well, obviously we need to and the Western Australian Government needs to make sure that everybody is advised at the appropriate time and place in terms of what has occurred in Western Australia. And we want to make sure that there’s time given for that. What we have done as a government is we’ve been as public as we can and as transparent as we can at the earliest opportunity. 
 
JOURNALIST: And so, when will we know more details about the type of bird? Is that when the test comes back? 

COLLINS: Yes, once the testing comes back, if it is confirmed, as I said, we’ll get further briefings and we’ll have experts available to talk with the media. 
 
JOURNALIST: And if it is confirmed, are we likely to know the exact location as well? 
 
COLLINS: That would be a question for the experts in terms of what they’re able to say. 

JOURNALIST: And is there cases of false positives? Is there a chance that this might not actually be – 

COLLINS: Well, we’re obviously taking this very seriously. The fact that we have a test that has said it is a suspected H5 bird flu means that we need to make sure. We need to do all the testing. We need to make sure that it’s done in our laboratory as well and our Centre for Disease Preparedness. We are acting and everything is occurring in the way in which we had envisaged if, you know, this type of flu has come to Australia. 
 
JOURNALIST: Do you know what the potential economic loss is for the beef exports here? 
 
COLLINS: In terms of the beef safeguard or in terms of the H5? 
 
JOURNALIST: In terms of the beef safeguard? 
 
COLLINS: We’re obviously continuing to work with the beef industry in relation to it. Obviously, the US remains our largest market in terms of our beef exports, and our beef exports are quite diversified. We have been working with the industry to diversify our beef exports since we came to office.