Australia will conduct a national preparedness exercise for the deadly H5 bird flu strain, following global wildlife devastation.
The H5 strain has caused mass deaths in poultry, wild birds and marine wildlife globally.
Given the catastrophic impacts on wild birds, the Invasive Species Council has criticised the delayed government response, warning that risk assessments were outdated.
Agriculture ministers have agreed on conducting a national preparedness exercise, amid fears the virus could reach Australia, within months, via migratory birds.
Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt recently allocated 7 million dollars to boost H5 Bird Flu readiness.
The exercise aims to enhance collaboration between agriculture, environment and health agencies, although no specific date or details for the exercises have been set.