DAFFnews - Issue 183

1 June 2012

• Australian experts take up positions with World Organisation for Animal Health
• Foot-and-mouth policy to increase Australia’s preparedness
• Registrations open for the ABARES Alice Springs Regional Outlook conference

Australian experts take up positions with World Organisation for Animal Health

Minister Ludwig has welcomed the appointment of Australian experts to key specialist groups of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

Australia’s delegate to the OIE and Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Mark Schipp, has been elected to the Council of the OIE, and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) Director of Animal Welfare Policy, Dr Peter Thornber, is now a member of OIE’s Animal Welfare Working Group.

The World Assembly also elected the director of DAFF’s aquatic animals’ program, Dr Ingo Ernst, to the Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission.

"As a member country, Australia contributes to OIE processes to enhance global animal health and animal welfare,” Minister Ludwig said.

"Australia has contributed strongly to the OIE for many years and these newly appointed Australian experts will be able to provide a valuable perspective from the Asia—Oceania region."

Foot-and-mouth policy to increase Australia’s preparedness

DAFF has developed a national policy for vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), boosting Australia’s preparedness against the disease.

DAFF Deputy Secretary, Rona Mellor, said while Australia has been free of foot-and-mouth disease for more than 100 years, it is still by far the most significant biosecurity threat to Australia’s livestock industries.

“Rather than considering vaccination a ‘measure of last resort’, Australia will now consider the potential role of vaccination as part of the response strategy as soon as an incursion of FMD is detected,” Ms Mellor said.

Both experience overseas and disease modelling studies carried out in Australia show that, in some circumstances, early vaccination is essential to effective disease control.

It is estimated that in the unlikely event of a FMD outbreak, the disease could cost Australia as much as $16 billion.

For more information on FMD, please visit the DAFF website.

Registrations open for the ABARES Alice Springs Regional Outlook conference on 13 June

What is the economic outlook for the Alice Springs region? How can local businesses improve productivity in a changing environment? These issues and more will be explored at the Alice Springs Regional Outlook conference on Wednesday, 13 June 2012.

Presented by ABARES, this one-day conference features speakers across four sessions on ‘global economy – local impacts’, ‘operating in a changing environment’, ‘towards more productive primary industries’ and a closing plenary panel on ‘future business opportunities in the region’.

Register now for this one-day conference to hear commodity forecasts, discuss industry trends, access information, make new contacts in the community and discover new approaches to traditional issues while gaining an understanding of global issues that affect the region.

Download the conference program online. For inquiries, contact Lara Cole on 02 6272 2303, 02 6272 3051 or at ABARES Conferences