Doorstop in Hobart

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP, HOBART 
SUNDAY, 23 AUGUST 2026

SUBJECTS: H5 bird flu

JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: Thank you for coming along this morning. I'm able to confirm today that testing at CSIRO’s laboratory has returned a positive result of the H5 bird flu in samples taken from a long nose fur seal at Beachport in South Australia. This is sadly our first confirmed case of the H5 bird flu in a mammal in Australia. I know that this news will be distressing for many Australians, particularly for those people with a close connection to the wildlife and the land, including our First Nations people. And although this is a concerning development, it is not unexpected for us to start to see infection in other wildlife, particularly in marine mammals. Particularly, in areas where there are high infection rates in wild birds. I have been advised that at this time the detection does not appear to be associated with other sick or dead marine mammals. An infection of this individual animal is likely to have occurred due to exposure to infected wild birds, or the environment that they share. Sadly, we also know that once the H5 bird flu is spreading in their natural environment, it is not possible to avoid significant losses. That's why our Government has worked so hard to prepare for H5 bird flu coming to Australia and why we are acting. As I've said numerous times, we have delivered over $113 million to bolster our preparedness and our response capability for the H5 bird flu. Importantly, this funding has delivered critical support for resilience of Australia's precious wildlife. We've also helped to strengthen biosecurity in wildlife facilities across the country that are home to some of Australia's most treasured and endangered species. On top of this, over $24 million is being invested by states and territories who are managing the on-ground response together with the Commonwealth. To continue our close coordination with states and territories, later this week, National Cabinet will discuss these latest developments and Australia's ongoing response to the H5 bird flu. I'll also be travelling to South Australia in coming days to discuss the state's ongoing response to the H5 bird flu. Across the country, the latest figures indicate that there have now been 298 positive H5 bird flu events in Australia since the outbreak. I want to close by reiterating that at this stage there is no evidence of infection in our poultry or agriculture systems and that the risk to human health remains low. To Australians our advice remains the same. Please if you see sick or dead birds, do not touch them or get close to them. Record your location and report sick dead birds to birdflu.gov.au. Happy to take some questions.

JOURNALIST: Is it a risk that it could spread to some more mammals now that it's been detected?

COLLINS: Well obviously as I've been clear, we can't stop it spreading in terms of particularly in wild birds. And where we see more dead wild birds we do expect to see increased reports of marine mammals.

JOURNALIST: Can you confirm, so, where was the seal?

COLLINS: So, it was at Beachport in South Australia and it's a long nose fur seal.

JOURNALIST: And so were there other animals that have been taken in for testing or was it just that animal in that location?

COLLINS: So, my understanding is this was an area where there has been other dead wildlife birds.

JOURNALIST: And so can you provide us sort of I guess a breakdown of the numbers of bird flu across the country? Is it something you can provide?

COLLINS: I can indeed. I'll try and remember them. So, in South Australia they're at 182 and South Australia of course has the largest numbers. We have 10 in Western Australia. I think we're at 11 in NSW. Certainly in Victoria the last number I recall seeing was 83. Is that right?

SPEAKER: It's 86 now.

COLLINS: 86. So, we have 86 now in Victoria and in Tasmania we're at nine.

JOURNALIST: And so what's the message for the marine, I guess seal and the animal population there. So, what should we be doing to protect that species?

COLLINS: Well, we've obviously invested in that early prevention work. So, $47 million of $113 million did go into improving habitat and improving biosecurity, particularly for those captive threatened species and animals. So, certainly we have done some work and the long nose fur seal was actually one of those species where some of that work was done in terms of their habitat and in terms of doing what we can do to support that species.

JOURNALIST: Is there any signs of agriculture, poultry, any warning signs there yet?

COLLINS: There is no evidence at this point in time of it being in poultry or agriculture systems.

JOURNALIST: And still no risk to humans?

COLLINS: And the risk to human health remains low is the advice that we have. Do you want me to do those numbers again?

JOURNALIST: Yeah. Okay.

COLLINS: So, as I said there's 298 events in Australia. So, 183 in South Australia, 86 in Victoria, 11 in New South Wales, 10 in Western Australia. And 7 in Tasmania and 1 in Queensland. But that Tasmanian number is likely to change shortly.

JOURNALIST: And can I just confirm. So, it's my understanding there's a testing laboratory in Geelong? Is that the only one?

COLLINS. So, what we've done as part of our preparedness is make sure that the states and territories can do state-based laboratory testing. But it is the accredited lab at the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong that is able to do the sequencing that goes into the global database and whereby they are able to provide us with more determinative data. And so any suspect cases from states where they're unsure go through to the CSIRO lab in Geelong.

JOURNALIST: And is there more cases between potentially from where the beach, from where that seal has been found?

COLLINS: My understanding is it is from a place that still has been found where there have been numerous deaths of wild birds, primarily seabirds.

JOURNALIST: Primarily seabirds. Okay.

COLLINS: On birdflu.gov.au I was saying earlier there is a list of all of the different species and a map that can provide you with a lot of information about the species that have been found and where they are.