Biosecurity is Everyone's Responsibility
Effective biosecurity allows for early detection of diseases, pests, and weeds, and manages the risks they bring. It underpins farm productivity, protects the natural environment and maintains market access. By implementing biosecurity practices, you’re not only helping to protect your farm; you’re helping to protect your livestock, your family and your industry now and for generations to come!
What is Farm Biosecurity?
Biosecurity refers to practices that aim to reduce the risk of introducing and spreading diseases, pests, and weeds.
Effective biosecurity isn’t costly or difficult to implement. Preparing a biosecurity plan is a great starting point as it takes you through key practices, documenting what you’re doing and helps identify key areas to address. It:
- Allows for early detection and management to reduce the impact of diseases, pests, and weeds.
- Underpins farm productivity
- Maintains market access
- Gives consumers confidence
- Protects the natural environment
What are the Risks?
The biggest risk to farm biosecurity is complacency. Existing diseases and pests in Australia already cost huge amounts to control. That’s where farm biosecurity comes in – providing the next level of protection for your farm/property.
Australia’s national biosecurity system is at its most effective when protection is in place at many levels – at the national level, at the state/territory level, at a regional level and at the individual farm or property level.
Biosecurity Plans
Stock Sense recommends the LPA Biosecurity Plan but you can use any biosecurity plan template as long as it covers all the important points. There are six key areas that a biosecurity plan should include:
Click through for each part that need to be included in a biosecurity plan.
Who Should I Contact If I Suspect an Outbreak of an Exotic Disease?
If you suspect a pest or disease outbreak or have seen something unusual and you’re not sure whether it’s an exotic pest or disease – report it. You can call the free Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Further Resources
- Farm Biosecurity was created by the Animal Health Australia and the Plant Health Australia. You can find more resources to protect our farms.
- Meat and Livestock Australia also have resources on farm biosecurity.
- For biosecurity plan templates:
Don’t forget, a Biosecurity Management Plan is the coversheet to a Biosecurity Plan. For more information, see Changes to Livestock Management Act 2010.
For further information, please contact the VFF Stock Sense team on 1300 882 833 or by email [email protected]