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Melina Bath accused Labor of ignoring bird flu advice and delaying vaccinations for Victoria's vulnerable little penguin coloniesThe Victorian government is accused of ignoring expert advice to proactively vaccinate little penguins against H5N1, delaying action until after infection was detected, potentially leaving colonies vulnerable. By news@gippsland - 1st September 2026 - Back to News The Carroll Labor government has ignored its own departmental advice on bird flu vaccinations for Victoria's vulnerable little penguin colonies. Shadow Minister for Public Land Management, Melina Bath, has accused the Victorian government in State Parliament of failing to act on expert advice to vaccinate Phillip Island's and St Kilda's little penguin population against H5N1 bird flu before the disease arrived. 
Melina Bath says Labor delayed 15 months before announcing vaccinations, despite advice that penguins needed two doses before H5N1 arrived Government delayed vaccinationAn Arthur Rylah Institute report prepared for Department Environment, Energy and Climate Action (DEECA) published in May 2025 warned H5N1 vaccination "would need to be undertaken prior to disease arrival". Ms Bath said the Carroll Labor government sat on relevant information for 15 months, only announcing a vaccination program on 12 August 2026 after an infected little penguin was found dead. "With vaccinations not beginning until 17 August, it's likely to be too little, too late. The timeline raises serious questions about the Carroll government's response." The report specifically outlined that vaccination of high-value wild populations such as little penguins needed two doses and 30 days before the arrival of H5N1 to be effective. One key point made was that once the virus was detected, vaccination effectiveness would fall sharply as outbreaks spread too quickly through vulnerable populations. Penguin vaccination delayedMs Bath said, "The government had a 15-month window and clear scientific advice that proactive vaccination was the best strategy to protect Victoria's little penguin colony. Vaccinating after disease detection is exactly what experts warned against." The Arthur Rylah Institute report identified an H5N1 outbreak in Victoria's little penguins as an extreme economic and environmental risk, warning a single outbreak could kill between 20 and 40 per cent of the population within six weeks. The report found that pre-emptive vaccination of 80 per cent of birds could reduce mortality to very low levels, but once the virus was detected a near-impossible 95 per cent coverage rate would be needed to achieve similar protection. "The little penguins are one of Victoria's most iconic wildlife populations and a cornerstone of the Phillip Island tourism economy. The Carroll Labor government ignored the science, delayed vaccination and has left our vulnerable little penguin colony exposed," Ms Bath said. Pictures from Phillip Island Nature Parks Facebook page.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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