Safeguarding your stock before and after a natural disaster

As we move further into summer and the fire danger continues to escalate, please consider your personal safety during this difficult bushfire season. Refer to your local Rural Fire Service reports and local radio broadcasts in the first instance for any immediate threats.

Once any risks to your personal safety have been addressed, APL and Animal Health Australia are urging livestock producers to closely consider the needs of their animals before, during and after a natural disaster. There is a lot to take into account and any amount of time spent in planning can save you from significant problems down the line.

Producers in disaster-prone areas will likely need, if they haven’t already, to develop a disaster management and evacuation plan. These should complement their biosecurity plan by addressing biosecurity and traceability requirements in the event that livestock need to be moved from the property.

Depending on the nature of the disaster there may be other factors to consider, such as whether feral animals and wildlife may have sought shelter on the property, whether there may be carcasses and weed seeds left behind, or whether the conditions on the property have created a breeding ground for insects, which may carry diseases.

Please note: any livestock movements to and from the property also ultimately need to be logged with the NLIS database or PigPass as appropriate, in keeping with the relevant legislation in your state and territory.

Producers may find the below information from Animal Health Australia helpful in preparing their plans.

National Farmers Federation have also pulled together a really useful one-stop shop of key contacts for assistance with stock, fodder and general disaster assistance for NSW and Victoria. 

The below is a list of key contacts for assistance with stock, fodder and general disaster assistance. The list will be updated as additional details come to hand.