4 Feb 2026

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has partnered with the Armidale Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) and Wildlife Health Australia to ensure knowledge about H5 avian influenza reaches Aboriginal stakeholders and community members attending today's Armidale Message Stick.

The meeting aims to help build knowledge, preparedness and resilience about this threat to Country and develop message stick steps to spread the news across NSW.

Armidale LALC CEO, Lyndon Strong, said it was the first time in NSW where a Mob-led gathering learned about the risks posed by H5 bird flu and found how Mob on Country can prepare for the arrival of the high-risk H5 strains in Australia.

"Our on-ground teams need this training to deal with H5 bird flu. We need to protect Mob from serious illness and prevent loss of wildlife," Mr Strong said.

"People need to know how to identify and report possible cases of bird flu when they see it and we have invited NSW and Australian Government health, biosecurity and wildlife experts to this meeting to help safeguard communities, our wildlife and totems.

"Our cultural practices put us at a higher risk than other groups of people. Working with government helps us stay informed".

"NSW Chief Veterinary Officer, Jo Coombe, said lessons from overseas, where the highly contagious H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus has spread, are helping inform the local approach.

"Australia is the only continent still free of H5 bird flu, which differs from the H7 strains of bird flu which have affected Australian poultry," Dr Coombe said.

"If H5 bird flu arrives in Australia via migratory birds or human spread, we expect it to cause severe disease and high mortality rates in commercial poultry and wildlife, with significant impacts on biodiversity in affected regions.

"H5 bird flu can cause sickness in humans and taking the right precautions helps protect people who are in close contact with sick or dead animals."

As key stakeholders in caring for Country, Aboriginal Ranger teams, Elders and other Indigenous Australians, play a vital role in keeping Country and communities safe.

NSW DPIRD, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Wildlife Health Australia, NSW Health, Australian Government Department Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry are directly engaging with First Nations communities and groups.

Working with Mob at the meeting, they informed participants about current H5 bird flu preparedness activities including increased surveillance for signs of the virus, projects to protect threatened wildlife species, training opportunities for groups, such as Aboriginal Rangers, and resources to advise Mob about H5 bird flu risks.

Wildlife Health Australia is supporting preparedness activities on Country and NSW DCCEEW is working to minimise the impact of H5 bird flu on wildlife with high-level plans to support and protect threatened and endangered species.

Mob shared their strategies to share advice across NSW communities and plan activities to build agency, preparedness and resilience in preparation for H5 bird flu.

Overseas, H5 bird flu has caused severe disease with high death rates in poultry, wild birds and some mammals.

Waterfowl, shorebirds, seabirds, birds of prey and scavengers have been the most affected species. Marine mammals have been affected with detections of the disease in other animals, including cattle, cats, goats, foxes, alpacas and pigs.

Aboriginal communities are likely to be affected, with disease and death spreading to local wildlife, impacting on cultural practices and bush tucker availability.

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