Agriculture Victoria has assured Rutherglen residents there is a very low risk of infection from avian influenza viruses amid community outrage over last week’s dumping.
Indigo Shire Council and residents were not informed of the dumping raising serious concerns about the lack of communication.
Activities carried out as a part of the bird flu response including the disposal activities at the Rutherglen farm were conducted under emergency provisions of the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994.
Those activities are exempt from requiring council permits, and Indigo Shire was not involved in the planning or approval process.
As part of ongoing advocacy, the council put questions from the community to the department.
A department spokesperson said all material was disposed of in accordance with strict controls after assessing a range of environmental, human safety and disease prevention practices.
The organic material removed from the Euroa farms included humanely destroyed chickens, poultry manure and nesting material, eggs and chicken feed.
It was deemed unsuitable to be disposed of on the infected site so to environmental concerns, such as shallow groundwater and limited space.
Trucks transporting biosecurity waste were fully sealed and decontaminated before they left Euroa to minimise the risk of leaks or spills.
Agriculture Victoria committed to provide community updates as the response continues.
Community members are encouraged to regularly visit the Agriculture Victoria website or to call the customer service centre on 136 186 for up-to-date information.
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