David Pocock (ACT, Independent) | Link to this | Hansard source

Until last week, Australia was the only continent on earth free of H5 bird flu, but that's changed, and it's likely to get much worse. Multiple birds have now tested positive for H5 bird flu. Since 2021, this strain of bird flu has killed millions of birds and thousands of marine mammals around the world. On Australia's own Heard Island, it has killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups and hundreds of king penguins. Now, it has reached the mainland, and experts are clear eyed about what that means—a high likelihood of huge mortality amongst native birds and commercial poultry.

The Threatened Species Commissioner has warned that, once this virus establishes itself in wildlife, there is very little we can do to stop it. More than 560 bird species and 100 mammals have been struck overseas. Here the animals in the firing line include the orange-bellied parrot, which is critically endangered, and the Australian sea lion, with just 12,000 left on the planet. The Invasive Species Council has called this a genuine wildlife emergency. They're asking the government to invest $200 million over two years to tackle invasive species, restore habitat and reduce the pressures already pushing these species to the brink, and I back that call. It's too late to stop this virus arriving, but we can give our most vulnerable wildlife the best chance of surviving it.

I urge the government to act before it's too late. This is an opportunity for the Albanese Labor government to get on the front foot and to work with states and territories to actually safeguard our incredible biodiversity and to safeguard poultry farmers across this country.