<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Millions more dollars have been thrown at a biosecurity defence plan to prepare Australia for the H5 bird flu outbreak sweeping the globe, which experts say will "almost certainly" reach our shores.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The federal government will divvy up $12 million between the states and territories for critical equipment that could facilitate a rapid mobilisation in the event of an outbreak.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The funding will also be spent on humane depopulation, decontamination and disposal equipment to prevent the spread of the disease.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-post-united-states-usa-parcel-suspension-donald-trump-tariff/52615197-11c5-4e00-98f0-d0f576ba7159" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Australia Post suspends deliveries to the US</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the movement of infected birds poses an ongoing threat, with a potential outbreak poised to cause major consequences to our wildlife and industries. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"During spring, we have a lot of migratory birds, and we do know that Australia is at risk of this H5 bird flu coming, but what we want to do is to make sure that Australia is prepared," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The latest round of funding adds to the $100 million the government has invested to boost surveillance, preparedness and responses to H5.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/h5-bird-flu-outbreak-millions-thrown-at-defending-australia/67a31f4d-4e2c-48f3-aa5b-c4510886f8b6" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>H5 bird flu is a highly contagious disease that has caused serious illness and deaths in millions of poultry, wild birds and mammals in the US, Europe, Asia and Antarctica.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It has swept through poultry and dairy farms and resulted in several human cases and deaths.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia is the only continent free from the strain — not to be confused with the H7 outbreaks at farms in Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/typhoon-kajiki-tropical-storm-vietnam-latest-updates-weather-news/cc23dffa-62f4-4d86-b05a-c47164f0a3e1" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Kajiki leaves one dead in Vietnam after making landfall as typhoon</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia is, however, surrounded by continents battling an H5 bird flu outbreak, particularly Antarctica.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Threatened Species Commissioner Fiona Fraser said infected birds are likely to migrate from the south in spring, making it a matter of time before the strain reaches Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"H5 bird flu will almost certainly reach Australia's shores," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Once it reaches here, we will not be able to prevent its spread in nature, and we will not be able to eradicate it in nature.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But, what we can do is build the resilience of our native populations to better withstand this disease and take important efforts for our captive species."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/kilmar-abrego-garcia-usa-united-states-donald-trump-deportation-ice-baltimore/edd128cf-60cf-4e52-8657-42096ed81e66" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Wrongly deported man detained again in the US after brief taste of freedom</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>How is Australia preparing for the H5 strain?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>State and territories, with the help of non-government organisations, are working on building resilience to H5 in Australia's most threatened and vulnerable species in the wild.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A much smaller component of that is supporting highly threatened species in captivity," Fraser said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia is also identifying the animals most susceptible to H5 and the areas that may be most impacted in the event of an outbreak to undertake preparedness planning.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Crews are removing other threats these vulnerable species face, like invasive rodents and weeds, to encourage greater breeding success.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That is our best bet for responding for H5 bird flu in the wild, is dealing with other threats that we can tackle more effectively," Fraser said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There is always so much more work to do for our native wildlife and protecting them, but that is work we are really leaning into at the moment."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/elon-musk-apple-openai-ai-artificial-intelligence-lawsuit-usa-texas/79271791-99ed-497c-93ad-4ed7183cac76" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Elon Musk files lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wildlife Health Australia has been granted $7 million to help with the surveillance of diseases in species, which will boost efforts of the national wild bird survey.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government also spearheaded Operation Convergence, which brought together all jurisdictions, industry experts and emergency personnel to scenario an outbreak of H5 bird flu in conjunction with other disasters, like a bushfire or cyberattack.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It really is the convergence of multiple emergencies at once and how different levels of government, our agencies and industry need to respond," Department of Agriculture biosecurity animal division first assistant secretary Dr Brant Smith said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There are also some lessons that you learn from that preparation, which you can put into action when that time comes, but we are preparing and pre-planning for these events." </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The last time Australia undertook a full-scale preparation like this was for an outbreak of a disease like COVID-19.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Anyone who comes across a dead bird is urged not to touch it and report it to </span><a href="http://www.birdflu.gov.au" rel="" target="_blank" title="birdflu.gov.au"><span>birdflu.gov.au</span></a><span>. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a 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