Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. In South Australia, we're dealing with the effects of the algal bloom. It's now reported in the media that we have two suspected cases of H5N1 bird flu. Such an outbreak, much like the algal bloom, would risk environmental, tourism and agriculture communities. What rapid support will be provided to any impact to primary producers, tourism operators and environmental groups?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. As she'd be aware, with the algal bloom, we worked very closely with the Malinauskas government to provide support for industry and to provide the sort of research that, frankly, will help not just people in South Australia but is, indeed, world-leading research to deal with the challenge that came from the algal bloom. I visited Kangaroo Island in the member's electorate to see firsthand the issues, and I met with local fishers and local producers in the primary sector. That's what our government does. When a challenge happens, we work across the board with industry, with different levels of government, and the member and I had conversations at that time. We'll continue to work on this challenge as well, and I'd ask the minister to update the House.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks to the Prime Minister for handing that over for an update on bird flu, and I thank the local member for her interest. She, like many members in this place, is obviously concerned about this not unexpected but still concerning development in H5 bird flu detections. What I can say, of course, is that I've been really clear that we can't stop the spread of this globally, because we can't stop migratory birds coming to Australia, but what we can do is be prepared, and that's exactly what we've done with our early investments—over $113 million that we have invested in preparedness.

We've done this really closely with the states and territories. We already have agreements in place with states and territories for biosecurity incursions, and we already have one in place for bird flu incursions. We have already come to those arrangements and provided monies to states and territories to be prepared, as I said, in this place earlier in the week. That has helped them in laboratory testing, surveillance equipment and for a whole range of equipment that they need on the ground to respond. That has already been provided to states and territories as part of that $113 million.

I have today been on the phone to both the Western Australian minister for agriculture and the South Australian minister for primary industries in relation to bird flu and cooperation that we are having with their governments. We continue to work very closely with both the Cook and the Malinauskas governments on these detections. Can I say that they're undertaking testing in their jurisdictions, and as you would expect, given the calls and the publicity, we have had an increased number of reports, and they are triaging those reports. They are doing local testing, then, if anything comes up, they then go to the CSIRO lab for confirmatory testing. As I indicated, we have had two confirmed tests from the Western Australian region in migratory birds, and I was informed just before question time that we have had another positive test from the CSIRO lab, and I'll be receiving an update from the chief veterinary officer just after question time, and then I'll provide an update to the public, as you would expect us to do. Again, I do want to thank the public for their diligence.