Correspondence And Briefings Regarding Bird Flu.

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This disclosure comprises internal talking points prepared for a media briefing on Exercise Volare, a national preparedness drill for High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1, held on 9 September 2024. The document confirms Australia remains free from the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b strain, which has caused extensive poultry losses and wild bird/mammal mortalities globally. DCCEEW coordinated the exercise with state and territory governments and industry stakeholders to test response capabilities for a potential wildlife outbreak scenario. The talking points emphasize that while H5N1 arrival cannot be prevented, the department is working to protect susceptible threatened species, migratory birds, and marine mammals under environmental biosecurity frameworks, including species in Ramsar-listed wetlands such as Kakadu National Park. The document does not contain scientific assessments, regulatory decisions,