Summary

Given the increased risks faced by Australia following the detection of exotic animal diseases in our near neighbours, this project involved updating biosecurity resources for Registered Establishments (REs).

This will assist these pre-export quarantine facilities to use best practice biosecurity principles when developing or updating their existing biosecurity plans, by providing templates for standard operating procedures (SOP), work instructions, and a brief emergency animal disease (EAD) action plan.

The review was conducted in consultation with REs to gain a better understanding of the management of livestock, personnel, facilities, and waste disposal. The updated template includes a more detailed outline of biosecurity risks with associated risk ratings, and the recommended practices and procedures to handle each one.

One-on-one assistance was also provided to several facilities, to go through the templates to include the most relevant and up-to-date information.

This project was managed by the Livestock Export RD&E Program, a collaboration between LiveCorp and Meat & Livestock Australia.

A Word version of the template is available here for REs wanting to use it.

Objectives

• Update Registered Establishment Biosecurity Plan templates to incorporate all current (pertinent) regulatory and biosecurity best practices.

Benefits to industry

Good biosecurity practices help to protect individual premises and the wider livestock industry from diseases, protecting both humans and animals.

Having plans in place also helps to demonstrate to our overseas trading partners that biosecurity is an important and practised part of animal production in Australia.