A CSIRO report completed four years ago recommended Australia establish a livestock gene bank as insurance against the impact of exotic disease incursions or natural disasters.

Since then, Australia’s livestock industries have suffered significant losses from floods and bushfires, and the risk of exotic disease incursion has been heightened by the spread of Lumpy Skin Disease and Foot and Mouth Disease across neighbouring northern countries and the recent arrival of H5N1 bird flu.

The report ‘Business case for Australia’s livestock gene bank’ was completed on 17 June 2022, but was never released by the Albanese Government and has only come to light after a Freedom of Information request was made.

Sheep Central has been provided with the unreleased report in the hope of reigniting industry discussion on establishment of a bank of livestock genetic material.

The CSIRO report recommends a centralised gene bank (registry and storage), with additional decentralised storage, as it had the most support among stakeholders. The estimated annual running cost of the preferred option was $1,400,000-1,720,000.

Other options considered include no gene bank and continue with status quo; a centralised registry (government managed) and decentralised storage (private) and; a fully centralised gene bank (registry and storage).

The hybrid option included implementation of a dedicated facility with cryopreservation capability and an additional voluntary computer-based registry of biological resources (semen and embryos) available in privately owned cryo tanks. The idea of the registry is to gather information on available material that could potentially be accessed if needed (e.g. to bring genetic diversity to a population, research application, or quick access to material in response to an emergency), the report said.

Stud sheep breeders support the gene bank concept

The Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association supported the formation of a livestock gene bank in 2022 and current president Jess Sutton told Sheep Central the body’s stance had not changed.

“We still believe that it’s vital to ensure the security of the livestock here in Australia; not just sheep, but other livestock also.”

Mr Sutton said the Federal Government has to lead on the issue.

“It could become an Australia-wide problem.”

Merino Australia president Geoff Davidson also supported the livestock gene bank concept, although he commended and supported the network of private semen storage centres across Australia. Mr Davidson also supported development of the storage of female genetic material if it was feasible.

Sheep Producers Australia chief executive officer Bonnie Skinner said SPA is led by industry.

“If there is genuine appetite from producers to support a national livestock gene bank, it’s something we would consider collectively to safeguard the industry’s future.”

Ag Minister Collins silent on why report was not released

Questions put to Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins and her department on why the CSIRO report was not released and whether a gene bank could benefit Australia’s bird, poultry and mammal species at risk from H5N1 were not answered.

A Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry spokesperson said the Australian Government will never compromise on biosecurity, and has delivered over $2 billion in additional biosecurity resourcing since 2022.

“Australia’s biosecurity system is built on shared responsibility, with well-established arrangements in place to support states and territories, and industry to prepare and respond to emergency animal disease threats.

“As part of this, Australia imports significant quantities of livestock genetic material each year, and there are also significant quantities held on hand by Australian livestock genetic material suppliers,” the spokesperson said.

“The government has invested over $113 million to strengthen Australia’s H5 bird flu preparedness, with a further $24 million supporting national response efforts.”

DAFF said the livestock gene bank was an election commitment of the former federal government and Australia’s biosecurity system relies on collaboration between the government, state and territory governments, industry groups, producers, communities and other stakeholders.

The department said national response efforts to H5 bird flu focus on minimising impacts on wildlife, animal and human health, communities and agricultural industries.

Gene bank proposition must have value to work

Former chair of the National Livestock Genetics Consortia taskforce and now industry consultant Dougal Gordon said prior to H5N1 being detected in Australia, it was estimated that the chance of Australia experiencing a major animal disease incursion in the next 10 years was 56 percent — ie not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’.

“With H5N1 now in Australia, FMD and LSD on our doorstep in Indonesia, and BOM weather prediction models forecasting hotter than average temperatures and lower than average rainfall over the next three months — particularly in the south and east — it is timely to revisit this matter,” he said.

“It was the 2018/19 drought and consequential destocking that led to the CSIRO report being drafted,” Mr Gordon said.

“Given the experience of the Australian pasture gene bank, if an Australian livestock gene bank was to proceed, it is imperative that a sustainable funding model be implemented and long-term funding commitments made.

Mr Gordon said he agreed on the potential value of a gene bank from a research and development genetic resource perspective.

“I think that the value of this resource would only increase over time.”

Mr Gordon said while there is a role for government, in order for a livestock gene bank to be established and successful, he believed that industry needs to also play a major role.

“This not only pertains to such matters as its development, maintenance, oversight but also importantly funding.

“They are after all the major beneficiaries,” he said.

“Ultimately, for an Australian livestock gene bank to be successful, there needs to be value proposition that exceeds the current private sector arrangements involving studs, breeding centres, breed societies and research institutions.”

Before the 2022 federal election, the Coalition pledged $8.2 million over four years to create an agricultural – livestock and pasture — gene bank, should it be re-elected. Industry was told the then federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment had been considering the business case for a National Livestock Gene Bank since 2020 and engaged CSIRO to conduct a feasibility study on different options, motivated by the need for disaster recovery from an animal disease emergency or natural disaster. A DAWE spokesperson told Sheep Central in July 2021 the CSIRO report was nearing finalisation and will be published on the CSIRO website once complete.

“The livestock gene bank was an initiative of the previous government and has not been prioritised for implementation by the new government,” the spokesperson said.

Then Minister for Agriculture Murray Watt told Sheep Central his priorities for the agriculture sector will be heavily informed by industry and he was seeking advice from the department about the gene bank.

Sheep Central has sought comment from Cattle Australia, the National Livestock Genetics Consortia Taskforce, WoolProducers Australia, the federal Coalition, and the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit or AGBU.

Click here to read the CSIRO report ‘Business case for Australia’s livestock gene bank’.