Livestock standstill plan formulated

A working group consisting of farming and industry interests is tackling the question of what would be the best destinations for livestock in transit if a standstill was called for foot-and-mouth disease.

The group consists of a broad industry membership, including the Pastoralists and Graziers Association, WAFarmers, livestock transporters and saleyard operators, and had its first meeting in October.

It will meet again this month to consider the decision matrix for destinations for stock in transit.

The WA Livestock Standstill Standard Operating Procedure was originally developed with the industry and the livestock transporters in 2011.

A number of issues were raised at the State discussion exercise, including the practicality of the nationally agreed decision plan, which was developed by a national industry and Government working group.

Department of Agriculture and Food WA senior veterinary officer Michael Paton said the current nationally agreed system had mixed loads being transported to saleyards to be returned to the owner as the first option.

"A second option is to continue to the saleyard or be transported to abattoir," he said.

"All options have advantages and risks and the working group will consider what is best for the overall response, the industry, and the welfare of animals and the economy of the country."

Mr Paton said a national livestock standstill in the event of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease had been agreed nationally as the best way to minimise the spread of the disease and reduce the devastating economic and social consequences of an outbreak to livestock producers, livestock, regional industries and Australia's economy.

"A review of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK in 2001 estimated that they could have reduced the epidemic by 30 to 50 per cent if they had imposed a national movement ban three days earlier," he said.

"FMD is a highly contagious virus that spreads between animals by the movement of infected animals, direct contact with an infected animal, airborne particles from infected animals, movement of contaminated animal products (such as wool or manure), vehicles, equipment and people.

"Ceasing all movement of susceptible livestock (livestock with cloven hooves) until the extent of the outbreak is determined and containment on those affected properties will significantly enhance the likelihood of successful eradication, minimise the economic impact and reduce the time and cost of eradicating the disease."

Mr Paton said as part of the national Exercise Odysseus this year, all jurisdictions and industry bodies across Australia had been reviewing how they would implement a national livestock standstill if FMD were to be diagnosed in Australia.

"WA has held several regional workshops and a State discussion exercise with industry during 2014 to work through the various requirements for industry and Government preparedness to implement a national livestock standstill if foot-and-mouth disease occurred in Australia," he said.

Bullsbrook-based livestock transporter Ron Smith, of KJ Smith Transport, said he believed a system where livestock was returned to the farm was the correct action, but suggested a communication protocol between the transporter and the department was an essential part of a decision matrix.

"It is essential that the transporter has the information to know immediately if any of the farms they had been too had been identified at risk," he said.

"Then we need a worst-case scenario in the case where you have infected mixed stock, where you have a safe place to have the animals destroyed."