Skip to main content
 
  • Share this page on Facebook
  • Print this page

Service 9: Animal health and minimising disruption to market access 

For more information contact: Dwane O’Brien (03) 5226 4871 or email: Dwane.OBrien@dpi.vic.gov.au

Service summary

This service will help to create an environment where Victorian dairy products - based on their reputation for superior quality, wholesomeness and biosafety – are ‘products of choice’ in national and international markets; and where Victorian dairy cattle live in a sustainable and productive environment, free from exotic pests and diseases.

DPI provides the following services directly to farmers (retail):

  • Victorian Disease Surveillance Initiative, which contributes to the rapid detection of disease threats, and builds the skills and capability of DPI staff and industry participants to manage threats to the livestock industries.
  • The Emergency Animal Disease Preparedness program, which provides Victoria with the necessary processes, tools and skilled people to respond to disease incursions using the Ausvetplan model. This is achieved by:
  • DPI staff participation in the national framework for development of response capabilities
  • maintenance and continued development of surveillance and response tools
  • cooperation with industry groups to raise the awareness and preparedness of industry participants.
  • Product integrity programs delivered in partnership with industry and the Australian Government. These are designed to protect and enhance the reputation of Victoria’s livestock industries as suppliers of ‘clean’ wholesome food and fibre products. Programs include the:
    • National TSE Freedom Assurance Program providing evidence of Australia’s freedom from mad cow disease
    • National Antibacterial Residue Minimisation (NARM) and National Organochlorine Residue Management (NORM) programs ensuring meat products are not contaminated with antibiotics or organochlorines
    • National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) which is Australia’s system for identifying and tracking ruminant livestock for food safety, disease control and market access purposes.
  • The bovine Johne’s disease (BJD) control program. In accordance with Victoria’s national obligations, DPI field staff in cooperation with private veterinarians will administer and facilitate BJD control within Victoria. DPI will also contribute to the national framework in which BJD policy is agreed.
  • The enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) eradication program. DPI field staff in cooperation with private veterinarians will administer and facilitate the EBL eradication program in Victoria. DPI will also contribute to the national framework in which EBL policy is agreed.
  • Investigation of significant disease outbreaks – providing security to the industry that new or exotic diseases are rapidly excluded or diagnosed.
  • Development of a biosecurity training module to be used by dairy quality assurance, as well as in the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program, and subject to third party audit. This module addresses issues including:
    • calf management from a welfare and residue perspective
    • calf rearing in the context of BJD
    • the need to record disease events
    • the need to report atypical/abnormal disease events to DPI or the farmer’s veterinary practitioner
    • biosecurity requirement surrounding livestock introductions
    • working within and through the industry’s quality assurance arrangements.
  • Advice to chemical users on appropriate chemical use to minimise the risk of chemical residues in products, and targeted monitoring of agricultural chemical residues to ensure residue limits are not exceeded <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/chemicalstandards>.
  • Monitoring of industry quality assurance schemes for chemical use to ensure they actively and accurately support farmers to minimise the risks associated with chemical use.
  • DPI Information Notes on cattle diseases and health (see Appendix 1).

DPI provides the following R, D&E information to service providers to build capacity and enhance service delivery (wholesale):

  • Training to increase awareness of on-farm biosecurity management options and improved individual animal traceability through the supply chain for biosecurity purposes.
  • Support for the design of industry quality assurance programs to effectively audit livestock properties in-line with the Livestock Management Act 2010.
  • Johne’s disease programs including management of the Johne’s disease market assurance and calf assurance programs implemented by rural veterinary practitioners.

DPI will refer farmers and service providers to the following resources (signpost):

  • Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV), which is the independent regulator of food safety for the Victorian dairy industry. DFSV is responsible for licensing dairy farms, manufacturers, carriers and distributors, and approving and ensuring compliance with dairy food safety programs. Its licensing authority extends through all parts of the dairy chain from farm through to delivery of product.
  • Primesafe, the independent regulator responsible for assuring the safety of meat, poultry and seafood in Victoria.
  • Animal Health Australia (AHA), the lead national coordinating body for animal health, for information about national animal health policies and programs.
  •