Portfolio — 27 August 2026

**H5 Bird Flu Response Escalation**

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry announced an additional $125 million in cost-shared funding for an immediate national emergency biosecurity response to H5 bird flu, with a further $20 million for on-ground action protecting key native wildlife species and Commonwealth-managed national parks [TA-260827-agricu-d28e43be8a31:mHWM]. The new commitments bring total government investment in the H5 response to more than $270 million, and the government will seek matched contributions from states and territories [TA-260827-agricu-d28e43be8a31:mHWM].

**Operational Scale and Risk Assessment**

Over 29,000 calls have been logged on the national bird flu hotline and 330 H5 bird flu events recorded nationwide, yet no detections have occurred in poultry or the broader agriculture sector and the risk to human health remains low [TA-260827-agricu-d28e43be8a31:mHWM]. The volume of hotline activity and recorded events underscores the intensity of surveillance even as the disease has stayed confined to wild-bird populations [TA-260827-agricu-d28e43be8a31:mHWM].

**Cross-Portfolio Coordination**

The Minister for Environment and Water, Murray Watt, said the government cannot stop wild-bird spread but has funded nearly 70 on-ground projects to improve the resilience of at-risk species [TA-260827-agricu-d28e43be8a31:mHWM]. The portfolio's approach centres on coordinated, cost-shared biosecurity measures across agriculture, environment and health sectors to protect wildlife, industry and community wellbeing [TA-260827-agricu-d28e43be8a31:mHWM].

**Continuity with Broader Resilience Agenda**

The funding extends the government's broader resilience strategy, building on the fuel-security agenda announced on 18 August by strengthening biosecurity against animal-disease threats [TA-260827-agricu-d28e43be8a31:mHWM].