The Australian Wildlife Health Network comprises a network of government and private stakeholders across Australia. It is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and is managed under the Wildlife Exotic Disease Preparedness Program. Its mission is to promote and facilitate collaborative links in the investigation and management of wildlife health in support of human and animal health, biodiversity and trade.

The Network is hosted by Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales, supported by NSW Agriculture, with the Coordinator's office located at Taronga Zoo (Sydney, Australia). A national coordinator, Dr Rupert Woods, manages the operations of the business. The core business activity is collaboration with key stakeholders to coordinate wildlife health surveillance and information systems across Australia into a national database, with emphasis on supporting Australia's agriculture and trade. It is stressed that the network coordinates information and expertise in a way that is complimentary to existing organisations and does not duplicate their operations.

The founding principles of the AWHN will guide the development, operation and management of the network. These founding principles are based on an organisation that:

• Has a major focus on human and animal health issues associated with free-ranging populations of wild animals;
• Is based on scientific endeavour and scientific objectivity;
• Encourages multi-organisational collaboration amongst federal, state, local government, and non-government agencies;
• Is based on complementarity rather than redundancy or competition with current organisations, researchers, conservationists;
• Is non-regulatory;
• Is financially responsible and efficient;
• Encourages, seeks and secure funds from stakeholders, funding agencies, and sponsors;
• Is capable of responding and adapting based on need and available funding;
• Provides the basis for and knowledge of emergency disease response and preparedness.

The objectives of the Australian Wildlife Health Network are to:

• coordinate a network of wildlife health expertise and resources;
• operate a national database of wildlife health information;
• facilitate and monitor field investigations of disease incidents;
• promote the development of regional and national wildlife health emergency preparedness and response strategies;
• identify wildlife health surveillance and research needs and priorities;
• provide information about wildlife health to the community and;
• advance education and training in wildlife health;
• seek and secure resources to achieve the objectives listed above.

The Network currently contributes wildlife health information to the NAHIS, which will be enhanced over time.

To visit the Network website please click here http://www.wildlifehealth.org.au

Page Updated: 1 July 2005