Interview with Andrew Clennell, News24 Sunday Agenda

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TV INTERVIEW
NEWS24 SUNDAY AGENDA
SUNDAY, 16 AUGUST 2026 

SUBJECTS: H5 bird flu, Housing, Gun buyback 

ANDREW CLENNELL, HOST: Joining me live from Hobart is the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, who's handling this crisis, Julie Collins. Julie Collins, thanks so much for your time, should I say. Can I get an update from you on the latest in terms of bird flu contamination and including the little penguin death on Victoria's Phillip island reported overnight? 

JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: Yeah. So, we've certainly, as we said, moved to more of a dashboard reporting and this will allow people on the ground to be able to have a good look at where this biosecurity incursion of the H5 bird flu is actually in Australia at any given time. It also lists the different species. So, as you say now, 219 events. We obviously have quite a lot of local transmission between the South Australian and the Victorian border there in Crested Terns, and we're now seeing some of that starting to move across the country. We have had overnight more incursions in Victoria and in Tasmania and NSW and South Australia. So, there are more reports to come through. We're waiting for some more results from state labs from overnight. But certainly the news about the little penguin I think will upset many Australians. But we have been very clear that this is what we will expect to see as the H5 bird flu does make its way across the country. We're doing everything we can do as a Government, but we cannot stop the spread of this virus. 

CLENNELL: Is there any consideration being given by Government of any compensation package for business? 

COLLINS. So, we've been working very closely in early preparedness. We've invested the $113 million early. We've now released an extra $24.8 million and that's co-funded with states and territories in terms of managing the response on ground. And we have long established protocols and agreements on how we deal with biosecurity incursions in Australia. So, there's a cost sharing basis and we also have a specific agreement in relation to the H5 with states and territories around cost sharing and what we do on the ground. And the response is actually guided by the experts who make decisions around what is the most appropriate response on the ground. So, we're certainly watching this very closely, as you would appreciate. And this has not been in Australia before. What we have seen is what it has done overseas. So, we're as prepared as we possibly can be for this H5 bird flu. 

CLENNELL: What chance is there, according to the best advice you have, of chicken and eggs being contaminated? 

COLLINS: Well, we're doing everything we can do to keep it out of our agriculture and poultry system. And I should be clear there's no evidence that it's in there at the moment. So, there's no evidence of any incursion into our poultry or agriculture system. And certainly we've learned a lot from the two H7 incursions that we've had in recent years. So, we've worked really closely with industry around improving biosecurity on the ground. We know biosecurity is the strongest and our best response to the H5 bird flu. So, we've certainly been doing everything we can do with industry there to make sure that we're as prepared as we can be. And I know states and territories are also working very closely with industry on the ground. And we have seen some housing orders, which is where we ask free range chicken producers, egg producers to bring their chickens inside. So, Victoria has done that in terms of that area that is being impacted in Victoria. So, we continue to work really closely with industry and with the states and territories and we're doing everything we can do to keep it out of our poultry and agricultural systems. 

CLENNELL: What's the worst case scenario here? 

COLLINS: Well, obviously we have been preparing and we've done a couple of scenarios in terms of the impact and the incursion here in Australia. What we're seeing at the moment is what we expected and what we've seen overseas. And that is that we will continue to see more dead birds. We will continue to see more mass mortalities, particularly of birds. We also know that marine mammals are quite susceptible to the H5 bird flu. So, we'll continue to track it. And that's what our dashboard is about. About making sure that we make the information as transparent and publicly available at the earliest opportunity so people can see where it is in Australia. That also helps the local response on the ground to make sure that we are responding and that people can see that the response is on the ground. In those locations where we know the H5 bird flu is being transmitted locally, 

CLENNELL: Is there anything farmers or Australians generally can do to help prevent the spread of the disease? 

COLLINS: Yeah. So, on birdflu.gov.au where our dashboard is, there's also a lot of great advice for local people who might have backyard chickens or local wildlife lovers who are out and about in the wildlife in terms of what you can do to help stop spread of H5 bird flu. But we've also been very clear that that from overseas experience, we can't stop it. And we will expect to see more dead birds and more mass mortalities across Australia. And we'll certainly continue to update the Australian Public at every opportunity, as soon as there is any events. And you've seen that from our Government and from the states and territories, we're being as transparent as we can be at the earliest opportunity with how this is tracking across Australia. 

CLENNELL: I wanted to ask you about housing now. You're a former Housing Minister. The measures in the Budget were supposed to be all about helping first home buyers. Yet this week we had figures out that suggested that since the Budget, despite a lot of investors being taken out of the mix, there'd been a decline in the number of first home buyer purchases. The ABS figures, Julie Collins, show that first home loans fell 2.9 per cent, in the June quarter. And in terms of first home owner rentvestors, that figure fell 14 per cent. Is this policy a failure? 

COLLINS: Well, what we know are there are a range of things impacting the housing market. We know that obviously global events impact it. Certainly, supply and demand impact it, but interest rates also impact it. And what our changes in the Budget were about were about giving first home buyers an opportunity in the market. And Treasury modelling says it will produce around another 75,000 first home buyers. We also know that some of our policies in terms of supply are really important. $47 billion in terms of getting more homes on the ground is also going to be critically important to making sure that more Australians can have a home. 

CLENNELL: Are you surprised, though, by that? I mean, here we had this, a lot of talk by the Prime Minister. You know, there are more first home buyers at auctions. The investors are out of the way, yet the figures are down for first home buyers. Tanya Plibersek said it was wrong. Tanya Plibersek said it was the best time ever for first home buyers. It doesn't appear that way, does it? 

COLLINS: Well, as I said, Andrew, there are a whole range of other things impacting housing markets in any given time. What we've done as a Government is we're investing heavily in the supply side with our $47 billion of investment. We're investing in terms of supporting first home owners and first home buyers with our 5 per cent deposit scheme and with the changes we've made in the Budget, the Treasury modelling shows that we'll get more first home buyers into the market. And that's what our Government has been about. It's about supporting more Australians into their own home. And that's certainly been our focus since we've been in office. 

CLENNELL: Now, I'm going to ask, can you name the Indonesian President and Japanese Prime Minister? And do you think Pauline Hanson should be able to? 

COLLINS: Well, President Prabowo of Indonesia and Prime Minister Takaichi obviously had close relationships with Australia. And as Agriculture Minister, I certainly appreciate those relationships. And we have a close relationship with Indonesia and Japan in terms of our agricultural trade, which I'm very proud of. And certainly since coming to office, our Government has worked incredibly hard to improve our international relations. And we've now had over 270 new market access achievements in terms of Australian agriculture to help Australian farmers diversify their markets to get more into overseas markets. So, certainly our focus as a Government has been on restoring those international relationships. And as Agriculture Minister, I know just how important they are to Australian agriculture and to our farmers on the land. 

CLENNELL: Is it an issue for Pauline Hanson? She can't name them or do you accept what she says? I don't have to at the moment? 

COLLINS: Well, that's a matter for her to have to answer. I mean, I'm focused on my job of making sure that we get the best opportunities for Australian farmers. And our Government has been focused on restoring those international relations. You know, I'll leave it to her to make her own comments about international relations. I thought that was a very wide ranging and interesting interview you did with Pauline. 

CLENNELL: Well, speaking of which, the gun buyback, it must be pretty disappointing for the Government that deals aren't imminent with other states than NSW on this. And what do you make of Pauline Hanson opposing it? 

COLLINS: Well, I think it's great news that we do have an arrangement with NSW. I think all Australians want to see fewer guns in our cities than in our suburban streets. And that's what the gun buyback is all about. And can I say that certainly the other states and territories will continue to have those discussions, but I would hope that other states and territories actually do what they agree to at National Cabinet and that is to have some form of buyback scheme, because I think all Australians want less guns on the street and more Australians safe. 

CLENNELL: Ms. Hanson says it's not all Australians want this and it's the people, not the guns. What do you say to that? 

COLLINS: Well, I think evidence proves otherwise. And certainly Australia and what we saw out of the Port Arthur tragedy shows that removing guns from our streets and our suburbs does actually make us all safer. And I think that's important. And look, let's be frank here. We're talking about gun ownership mostly in our cities and our suburban streets. We also know, of course, that our land managers across Australia do need some firearms in terms of their land management. And we've been very clear that that is a very different thing in terms of that. But certainly, you know, I'll leave it to Pauline to actually, you know, talk about her comments and what she believes. But I want to see less guns on our streets and Australians safer. 

CLENNELL: Agriculture Minister Julie Collins, thanks so much for your time. 

COLLINS: Thanks very much, Andrew.