Incorporating the Nagambie Times and Violet Town Sentinel
AVENEL - EUROA - LONGWOOD - NAGAMBIE - STRATHBOGIE - VIOLET TOWN Wednesday, July 2, 2025
editor@euroa-gazette.com.au
euroagazette.com.au
A century and a half between them Page 9
School Holidays in the Library
Page 5
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Regional Maternity Care Under Review Page 11
Not the end of free-range Kinross recovers from bird flu outbreak in record time
By ANDY WILSON
JAPAN BOUND Cooper Harper, 11, will be doing Euroa proud when he joins with three Melbournebased students as Australian representatives at the 37th Asia-Pacific Children’s Convention in Japan next month. Story page 3 PHOTO: Dale Mann
CLEARING SALE On Site Warrenbayne ACC: J Harrison
Friday 11th July - 10 AM
‘Tumultuous’ is the first word Phil Szepe has to describe how the last four-anda-half months have been for Kinross Farm. The four Euroa eggproducing farms owned by the company made headlines across the nation and world in February when an outbreak of the new H7N8 avian influenza virus spread quickly between the properties over three weeks, forcing the destruction of almost half a million chickens and the imposition of a quarantine zone in the region. “It certainly has been tumultuous, but we have pulled through thanks to an amazing team effort from all involved,” Mr Szepe said. “It’s a real credit to everyone; our guys, AgVic, and the Euroa community are incredibly supportive with all our endeavours and in particular this event.” The company was forced to destroy over a quarter of
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS MACHINERY
FARMING EQUIPMENT VEHICLES
126 Robinson Road Warrenbayne Vic Col Broughton 0428 570 780
John Harrison 0429 632 341
its bird population due to the event but was still able to operate successfully with production at its other seven sites. “It was a very emotional time for every one of our staff involved, because you have to remember that these guys go daily into the shed to care for the birds and see their needs.” Because the virus is spread by wild waterfowl - mainly ducks - and Kinross’s local product is free range, Mr Szepe said the disease’s arrival was an ‘awful eventuality’ despite Kinross Farms taking every reasonable precaution in its day-to-day operation. “We have barn systems elsewhere, where there is the same infrastructure as free range but they are inside of a shed where the birds can perch, and rest and run around and scratch and it’s the best defence against this virus. “A closed system confers a far stronger biosecurity
status; it’s not a hundred per cent but it certainly reduces the risk profile. “Once birds are free ranging, however, they are exposed, and your biosecurity is compromised. “So, at the outbreak, our plan first and foremost was the priority of containing the flu to that area.” Bird flu can travel worldwide due to waterfowl migration and has resulted in the destruction of millions of chickens on every continent. The Antarctic has also not escaped the disease, with scientists reporting the death of 18,000 breeding penguins in 2017. However, in the face of the Euroa outbreak’s severity, there are many positives to be drawn, not least satisfaction in knowing nothing more could be done due to the preparation Kinross has put into contingency plans which have been updated and refined over the last two decades. ■ Continued page 8