Lessons from the management of cattle diseases in Australia

1. Lessons from the management of cattle diseases in Australia Wyn Grant

2. An encounter with an alpaca

3. Orange, NSW

4. Some clear differences • Geography: tropical, sub-tropical and arid areas • Politics: a federal system with substantial responsibilities remaining at state level – states have strong legal powers but money is largely with Commonwealth • Importance of professional cooperation of vets • Western Australia and the eastern states • No wildlife reservoir for bovine TB

5. Some political challenges • ‘Federal system relies on good working relationships. Tensions between Commonwealth and states and between states. Always a tension with money. System is funded by states, go through funding cycles, various states aren’t synchronised. States have to listen to domestic industries.’

6. Challenges facing Australian agriculture • Distinctive but fragile ecology • Climate change/weather cycles – drought • Salinity • Continued protectionism in global agriculture • Infrastructure issues, e.g., rural vets

7. Drivers of Australian policy • Biodiversity • Exotic diseases – recent EI outbreak • Importance of exports to agriculture • Australia’s reputation for high standards • Animal welfare concerns of urban population • UK experience with FMD • Near neighbours with variable biosecurity systems, incidents rising

8. Why we can learn from Australia • Policy learning is possible • Systematic and reflective thinking on issues • Institutional innovations • Holistic approach to biosecurity being developed

9. What is biosecurity? • ‘Our current working definition is that Biosecurity is the protection of the economy, the environment and the way of life and human health from the negative impacts of pest and diseases and contaminants’ – Ron Glanville, Chief Biosecurity Officer, Queensland

10. Biosecurity Queensland • Biosecurity Queensland formed two years ago covers animals, plants, weeds, animal welfare • Gets common approaches happening, technical details change with pest, approaches to management common • Glanville paper assesses biosecurity risks facing Queensland

11. Biosecurity at Commonwealth level • Beale report following equine influenza outbreak • National Biosecurity Authority fom July 2009: Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Biosecurity Australia and parts of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

12. Animal Health Australia • Not for profit company which evolved out of TB and brucellosis campaign incorporated in 1996 • Partnership between Commonwealth government, state governments and industry, contribute one third each • Emphasis on stakeholder engagement

13. Value added of AHA • Wide range of stakeholders, e.g., meat processors, stockyards, animal welfare organisations • Series of collaborative partnerships • Key element is everyone taking responsibility for sharing risk, not just cost sharing, but responsibility sharing

14. Reconciling divergent views • An independent central forum so can act as an honest broker in terms of negotiations, although not an overt leadership role • If debate gets politically intense, AHA seen as neutral ground, can identify areas of commonality in divergent views, a basis to build

15. BJD in Australia • Occurs in states of South Australia, Victoria, NSW and Tasmania (16 herds) • NSW largely along border with Victoria, but outliers related to former dairy industry • Western Australia declared BJD free in 1999, Queensland and Northern Territory traditionally free of disease

16. BJD Zones • Introduced in 1999 to prevent BJD from spreading further, movement controls • Free Zone: Western Australia • Protected zones: Queensland, NT, northern pastoral areas of SA, most of NSW, Flinders Island+Furneaux Group • Residual zone: Tasmania • Control zones: Victoria, southern SA

17. Drivers for BJD policy • Association with Crohn’s disease • ‘Most of benefits we get from Johne’s control relate to the ability to market cattle anywhere both overseas and in Australia’ • Scheme which has affected farmer thinking because it affects price achieved by cattle • Approach of Southern Australia is more regulatory, W. Australia individual business risk

18. National Johne’s Disease Control Programme • Since 1996, a set of Standard Definitions and Rules to facilitate trade between jurisdictions • Market Assurance Programme, an audited quality assurance programme incorporating animal health risk assessment, testing and movement controls

19. National Dairy BJD Assurance Score • Mandatory to declare the Dairy Score in NSW and SA • 0-10 rating, 0 is non-assessed and 1 is infected or suspect • 2-6 in Bovine Johne’s control programmes (2 more than 4% reactors) • 7 or 8 first clean test depending on zone, 8-10 if in Cattle MAP, 10 if in BJD Free Zone

20. Financial and Non Financial Assistance Package • This is not a compensation package, but an assistance package to help owners of infected and suspected herds to recover from effects of BJD. Industry funded. • BJD counsellor to assist the producer consider management and trading options and develop a business plan • Capped funds for testing and slaughter of identified high risk animals

21. Stakeholder engagement • BJD Summit in NSW including abattoirs, milk processors, vets, saleyard managers, station agents • BJD Summit Executive Committee • DPI extension branch directly targeted every farmer

22. Lessons for UK • Need for change management processes in introducing cost sharing in UK • Importance of internet in managing information flow and responding to false stories, ‘access to scuttlebutt in real time’

23. But not everything is perfect • Does Australia really have a coherent underlying philosophy or is it all ad hoc? • ‘Some shoddy ways we develop national policy’ • Displacement of agriculture decreasing • Tensions over animal welfare in three states where local government department has lead

24. That’s all folks • Thanks for your attention • Visit our website at: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/gld