In 2024, Dr Julie Simons, Agriculture Victoria’s Director Biosecurity Strategy, Preparedness and Coordination, was recognised in 2023 as one of Victoria’s Top 50 Public Sector Women.
Julie oversees the Victorian Government’s Emergency Animal Disease Preparedness program to rapidly boost the government’s readiness to respond to a major Emergency Animal Disease event.
Victoria’s agricultural sector faces an escalating threat from Emergency Animal Diseases, underscored by recent detections of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), African Swine Fever (ASF), and African Horse Sickness (AHS) in neighbouring Asia-Pacific nations, alongside the current emergence of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza strains.
Funding totalling $43 million over three financial years has been allocated to support the EAD Preparedness Program. There has been significant progress which Julie will be presenting at EMC this year.
