Border Town Outraged Over Victoria’s Sluggish Response to Growing Bird Flu Crisis

Residents in the tiny Victorian border town of Nelson are calling on state authorities to urgently ramp up their response to a major bird flu outbreak, warning that a lack of action is leaving hundreds of dead birds to rot on local beaches.

The town, located on the Victorian side of the South Australian border, is currently seeing mass bird deaths suspected to be caused by the H5N1 strain of bird flu. The scale of the deaths has deeply affected locals, including 74-year-old retired environmental lawyer Warwick Biggs, whose home overlooks the Glenelg Estuary and Discovery Bay Ramsar site.

"I've been into birds all my life and it's very upsetting for me to see what is happening," Mr Biggs said. The Ramsar-listed site is a critical habitat for 95 waterbird species, including various migratory and endangered birds. Now, the shoreline is littered with the bodies of pelicans, magpies, and ravens.

"Each morning, there are less and less birds surviving and the beach is just covered in hundreds and hundreds of corpses," Mr Biggs said.

A Stark Contrast Across the Border

Just three kilometres away in South Australia, government teams are actively patrolling beaches to collect carcasses in an effort to limit the spread of the virus. In Victoria, however, residents say the dead birds are simply being left where they fall.

Mr Biggs has urged the Victorian government to adopt South Australia's active management approach. "The government is sitting there saying there's nothing they can do," he said. "That's absolute rubbish, there's a lot of things that could be done, [like] clearing up the dead birds so that other birds don't catch it from them."

He added: "What is happening here is a scandal, and [the Victorian government] is just hiding."

Ecologist Cassie Hlava, who also serves as the convener for BirdLife Southeast South Australia, shared similar concerns. She estimated that at least 400 carcasses, primarily crested terns, have already gathered at the Glenelg River mouth, with more migratory species expected to arrive soon.

While South Australia has deployed dedicated response teams and established specialized composting bins in Robe to safely manage the waste, Ms Hlava said Victoria’s side remains neglected.

"On our side of the border, which is just 3 kilometres away, we haven't seen any response," she said. "We haven't seen any staff members out, we haven't seen signage, we haven't seen humane euthanasia of birds that are suffering, or any collection of carcasses."

She warned that the accumulation of bodies in highly frequented bird habitats poses a massive transmission threat. "I'm really worried that because these carcasses are building up in an area that so many other birds use, that there is really high risk of transmission to a bunch of other species," Ms Hlava said. "The community is increasingly desperate and some are willing to help clear away the carcasses but they need help, urgently."

Public Health and Tourism Concerns

The outbreak comes at a difficult time for Nelson, which is preparing to host its annual bream fishing competition next month. The event typically draws hundreds of visitors to the region, which is already popular with bushwalkers, kayakers, and anglers.

"Dead and dying birds at a heavily visited site like this raise significant concerns for public health when people are walking on the beach and might come into contact with contaminated materials," Ms Hlava warned.

Last week, Victoria's chief biodiversity officer, James Todd, explained that the state’s current strategy focuses on monitoring new species testing positive or identifying cases in previously unaffected areas. While acknowledging how distressing the situation is for locals, he noted that cleanup efforts would be targeted.

"It's important to note that that might not happen everywhere, and areas with high visitation or public amenity will be the priority areas," Mr Todd said. He also argued that asymptomatic, living birds are more likely to spread the virus than dead ones, adding that active cleanup operations could startle healthy birds, causing them to disperse and carry the virus further.

The Glenelg Shire Council stated it is aware of the community's worries and has raised these concerns with the Victorian environment department, passing along practical local suggestions to the area's public land manager.

Federal Funding Package Announced

In response to the wider national biosecurity threat, the federal government has announced a new $125 million funding package for the bird flu response, which must be matched by state and territory governments to be accessed.

The funding is designed to bolster immediate emergency measures, including surveillance, early detection, on-ground capabilities, support for threatened species, and community engagement. This package builds on a previously announced $113 million allocation for preparedness.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Julie Collins stated that authorities are actively following expert guidance. "Our governments are working collectively together and, with industry and wildlife experts, we're taking the technical experts' advice of what is required on the ground," she said.

Minister Collins warned that further wildlife losses are expected as the virus continues to move through the country. "We understand this can be distressing, but we are going to see more sick and dead birds and other wildlife, mammals particularly, being impacted by the H5 bird flu as it does make its way across the country," she said.