Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Thank you, honourable Speaker. Premier, bird flu is on Tasmania’s shores, and we’ve known this day’s coming for some time. Your government has had two years to prepare to see the devastation and mass mortalities occurring in other countries and to develop strong defences for Tasmania’s iconic wild bird species. We don’t know what’s going to happen or how bad an outbreak might be, but we do know that Tasmanians need to prepare to possibly be seeing native birds in distress and dying on beaches and in wild places. We have some indication of your government’s response, but people need more information about protections for high‑risk bird species and communities. Premier, other than the orange‑bellied parrot, what priority species have you developed species protection plans for? What specific plans are there to reduce the threats to Tasmania’s birds and giving them the best chance of surviving whatever happens next?
ANSWER
Thank you, honourable member, for your question on a very, very serious matter indeed. We have been preparing for bird flu arriving at our shores for some time. I don’t agree with the inference in the first part of your question that we were not prepared for this eventuality. I commend the Biosecurity Tasmania team and Parks and Wildlife team, who are all involved with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRET) ‑ led by Secretary Jason Jacobi ‑ for their extensive preparation when it comes to H5 bird flu, and what continues to be undertaken as well. You might’ve seen reports about surveillance over the weekend of many kilometres of coastline around King Island, the west coast, Stanley and the Furneaux Group of islands as well, so extensive preparedness. Thankfully, my understanding is that that surveillance didn’t result in any evidence of mass mortality, which is pleasing to this point, and thankfully, H5 bird flu has not come into the commercial poultry sector as yet either. Of course, there are already very robust biosecurity regimes within the commercial poultry sector, let alone with respect to bird flu.
More specifically on your question, we’re concerned about the impact of H5 bird flu on our native wildlife and threatened species. It is reported that 600 species globally have been affected by the H5N1 virus. In other countries, outbreaks have had a devastating impact in wild bird and mammal colonies. For example, Argentina has reported losses in excess of 17,000 southern elephant seals linked to the H5N1 outbreak, and we recently received reports from the Australian Antarctic Division of around 13,000 elephant seal pups dying in the sub‑Antarctic Heard Island which is not far from our shores. It is very distressing, and I do concur with your question when you mentioned how distressed the public can be and will be, no doubt, should mass mortality occur. Of course, everyone is trying to prevent that as best as possible. We do not know how Tasmanian species will respond or how many will be impacted at this stage.
Supplementary Question
Dr WOODRUFF – Thank you, Premier, and before I ask the supplementary question, I’ll just correct the misinference that you took: I wasn’t suggesting that the department hasn’t been preparing, just noting that there has been time; we’re the last continent for bird flu to arrive at. My supplementary question is restating the question I asked: other than the orange‑bellied parrot, what priority species have you developed specific protection plans for? Shorebirds and waterfowls are expected to be at the highest risk, noting we don’t know for sure. Specifically in relation to those types of birds, what are the specific plans in place?
Mr ROCKLIFF – As part of our response planning, the Tasmanian government partnered with the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to deliver the H5 Bird Flu Protected Species and Places Preparedness and Response Planning Project. This project focuses on those species in Tasmania that are considered most at risk, and which are most likely to benefit from measures that reduce impact from other threats, such as cat predation, for example.
Species‑specific plans have been developed for the orange‑bellied parrot, Tasmanian devil, shy albatross, short‑tailed shearwater, Furneaux white‑fronted tern, fairy and little tern, Australian and long‑nosed fur seal and the Australasian gannet. A further plan is under development for migratory shorebirds. Unfortunately, the experience in all jurisdictions internationally is that the H5 HPAI strain is not eradicable in the wild and treatment of infected animals by veterinarians is not likely to be successful.
