Bird Flu in Australia - October 2026
As of 30 September 2026, Australia had 676 confirmed events of H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b) in wildlife, involving over 40 species. Several species of marine mammal have died as a result of H5N1 infection. All states and territories, and the Federal Government are now reporting ‘events’, where an event is one or more species on the same day at the same location. This reporting format obscures the numbers of individuals involved – some events hav
12 hours ago2 min read
H5N1 arrives in Australia
Update from Eric Woehler The arrival of bird flu to Australia signals the next chapter in the spread of this global pandemic. Australia is the world’s remotest inhabited continent, and for years, researchers and managers had identified two possible pathways for the H5N1 virus to reach Australia. These were from the Northern Hemisphere potentially via migratory shorebirds and/or shearwaters, or from the Southern Ocean as seabirds dispersed northward to avoid the Antarctic wi
Jun 231 min read
Consultation open on draft EPBC Act information and survey guidelines for Little Penguin
Little Penguin by Claire Greenwell New draft information and best practice survey guidelines have been developed for the Little Penguin under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). These document outline how to identify and manage potential impacts on little penguins associated with offshore wind farm proposals. Based on a comprehensive literature review into Little Penguin behaviour and ecology, the document documents provide: important
Jun 61 min read
