PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEM~ ENT NO. 209
2 April 1974
ANIMAL HEALTH LABORATORY
The Australian Government has approved a project to provide
major protection for the Australian livestock industry.
It has decided to build a laboratory complex, to be called
the Animal Health Laboratory, at Geelong, Victoria.
The capital cost of the complex is expected to be $ 56 million.
This spending will begin in 1976/ 77 and will be spread over five
years. The laboratory will help provide protection on a national
basis for one of our most important rural industries.
The Australian livestock industry had an estimated gross
value of production in 1972/ 73 of $ 3,000 million. In the same
year the industry's exports were worth an estimated $ 2,000 million.
The laboratory complex will provide protection by performing
the following functions:
" diagnosis of exotic animal disease,
" testing of vaccines required for exotic disease control,.
" research on major virus diseases in Australian animals,
" the production of foot and mouth vaccine if required.
The laboratory complex will be established on the Geelong
Rifle Range, which is owned by the Australian Government.
Compensating arrangements will be made as required for organisations
disadvantaged by the project.
The Australian Health Laboratory will be administered and
operated by the C. S. I. R. O. on behalf of the Australian Government.
Following the establishment of the laboratory a consultative
committee, consisting of C. S. I. R. O. and departmental representatives,
will be formed to assist in the determination of priorities and to
ensure effective liaison on policy matters.
The Consultative Committee will provide an essential link
with the Animal Quarantine Branch of the Department of Health for
the testing of livestock in the proposed off-shore High Security
Animal Quarantine Station. / 2
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The Commuittee will also provide a liaison channel for
special research, training, diagnosis and epidemiology with the
proposed Bureau of Animal Health in the Department of Primary Industry.
At full operation, the Animal Health Laboratory will employ
a staff of 170 including 25 scientists.
Its annual operating costs will be approximately $ 3 million.
The laboratory would play a vital role in minimising the
impact on the Australian economy of an outbreak of foot and mouth
or other introduced animal disease.
' Should an outbreak of exotic disease occur, the existence
of the laboratory would be vital to any eradication program and would
be an important factor in persuading Australia's trading partners
that eradication had been achieved.
It will also provide a facility for carrying out special
testing for potentially valuable livestock held in quarantine
before they were allowed into Australia for breeding programs.
It will also be a valuable facility for research on virus
diseases endemic in Australia, several of which affect man as well
as livestock. Final design of the laboratory followed a study tour of
overseas microbiological security establishments by a government
evaluation team.
The Geelong site, currently the Geelong Rifle Range, was
chosen following extensive consideration of a wide range of
alternative sites.
The final choice was made on the advice of the Cities
Commission in the light of the Government's policy of developing
specific growth centres and with the approval of the Victorian
Government. A comprehensive environmental impact statement for the site
accompanied the Cabinet submission.
The Department of the Environment and Conservation which
assessed this statement noted the amount of technical detail
supplied and advised that it was satisfied that the environmental
issues of the proposal had been adequately covered.
Because of the extreme precautions built into the design,
there will be no risk to Australian livestock.
The laboratory complex will be technically the most
sophisticated major structure in Australia and the most modern
animal diseases laboratory in the world.
It will operate as a series of integrated engineering systems,
which provide isolation from the external environment. / 3
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It features multiple fail-safe devices and procedures
including air locks, shower locks, filter systems of many kinds
and sophisticated waste disposal apparatus.
All air entering or leaving the laboratory will be specially
filtered. The air leaving the high hazard area will be heat steriliscd
to kill virus particles.
Solid wastes will be destroyed or rendered sterile.
Operation of the complex will have no detrimental effects
on the environment. In accordance with overseas practice, the keeping of
susceptible livestock will not be permitted in a buffer zone one
mile in radius around the laboratory.
This will include sheep, cattle, pigs, goats, horses, fowls,
turkeys, geese and ducks.
The Victorian Government has agreed to the relocation of the
trotting and dog-racing track currently in the vicinity by the
time the laboratory is complete in 1981.
The buildi4ng has been designed by a group of specialists
formed within the Department of Housing andConstruction who have
worked in close consultation with C. S. I. R. O. and an expert from
the Department of Health. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The impact of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the
livestock industry would be immediate and far reaching. Much of
our trade in meat and other livestock products would cease and it
would be many months, even years, before normal trade was resumed.
There are many other livestock diseases exotic to
Australia, some as potentially devastating as foot and mouth disease,
others less so, but all capable of seriously affecting our livestock
industries. While Australia has a remarkable record of success
in remaining free of these diseases, there is no certainty that
this situation can be sustained for ever.
It is difficult to escape the conclusion that sooner or
later a major exotic disease of livestock will penetrate our
quarantine barriers. If this were to happen, Australia' s veterinary
authorities would be severely handicapped at present by the
absence of a laboratory possessing a great enough degree of
microbiological security to enable highly infectious material
to 1-c handled in complete safety without risk of escape.
If vaccination became necessary for control and eradication of a
disease, the Animal Health Laboratory would be involved in testing
the potency and safety of the vaccines used. / 4
4
The Laboratory would be absolutely essential for the
enormous amount of work needed not only to eradicate the
disease but also to demonstrate to other countries that
eradication had been successful. If a situation arose where
overseas trade in meat or some other livestock products had
been suspended as a result of an outbreak of a major disease,
the absence of such a facility could seriously prejudice the
early resuantion of trade with our trading partners.
CANBERRA. A. C. T.