Latest news with #Euroa
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Agriculture Victoria declares end of H7N8 avian influenza outbreak
Poultry farmers are once again able to move birds across north-east Victoria without restriction after Agriculture Victoria declared an end to the latest avian influenza outbreak in the state. In February, detections of the H7N8 bird flu strain were found on four commercial properties near Euroa. The outbreak meant hundreds of thousands of birds had to be euthanised, while zones were set up that restricted the movement of birds, bird products and poultry equipment around the region. Victoria's acting chief veterinary officer Sally Salmon said work by Agriculture Victoria meant those restrictions could be lifted, and thanked the poultry industry and local bird owners for their help in eradicating the outbreak. "Early reporting from the first affected business meant we could act quickly, and their ongoing co-operation with all elements of the response has been a major factor in achieving eradication," Dr Salmon said. She said more than 100 people had been deployed to clean and disinfect each site, as Agriculture Victoria officers visited 350 properties, took 20,600 samples, and completed 21,500 tests for the virus. The Euroa incident was the second outbreak of avian influenza in a year, with the first outbreak occurring in May 2024, affecting several properties in south-west Victoria. Victorian Farmers Federation Egg Group president and Werribee egg farmer Brian Ahmed said the end of the outbreak was welcome, and praised the work of Agriculture Victoria staff and farmers to eradicate the disease. But Mr Ahmed said a push towards expanding free-range chicken farming needed to be re-considered because he believed it could lead to further outbreaks. "As a farmer, I trust that the Agriculture Department has done their job and they wouldn't have lifted those restrictions unless they were quite comfortable that everything's been eradicated," he said. But he said the next avian influenza outbreak wasn't a matter of "if" but "when". "Unfortunately, government policies pushing our industry into non-cage systems with free-range [chickens] increases the risk of bird flu outbreaks. "The free-range system was designed for small-scale farming and there's nothing wrong with that. "But we're commercialising a farming system that was not designed for that, and we're going to have disease outbreaks like this more regularly, it's very clear." The caged-egg farming system is set to be phased out by 2036 under Commonwealth guidelines, but details on how the phase-out will occur are yet to be released.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
KIIS FM drive host Woody Whitelaw announces his wife Mimi Gibbs is pregnant with their second child
Radio presenter Woody Whitelaw and his wife Mimi Gibbs are expecting their second child. The couple, who tied the knot in November last year and share two-year-old daughter Remi, shared the exciting news live on his KIIS FM Will & Woody show on Tuesday. 'So Will, you are currently completely dressed as Elsa here in the studio,' Woody told his co-host Will McMahon. 'A little bit embarrassed because you thought the reason I've brought my daughter and my wife in here was to try and convince [my daughter] to take off her Elsa dress by pretending to be Elsa. 'Well, that's not actually why my wife and my daughter are in here. You can leave the dress on, though,' he joked. Woody then made the pregnancy announcement by asking Remi 'what is in mummy's tummy?' Remi responded with: 'A baby'. Mimi revealed the couple haven't found out the baby's gender but Remi is hoping for a sister. 'It is quite stressful though because every time we say to her, do you want a brother or a sister, she says a sister. It's going to be quite awkward (if it's a boy),' she said. Woody and Mimi tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony at the Euroa Butter Factory in Victoria's scenic north-east in November last year. The couple exchanged vows in an intimate setting, surrounded by family and friends. The wedding began with their adorable daughter Remi walking down and being scoped up into her father's arms before Mimi bride made her dramatic entrance. Mimi wore a sleek and elegant white gown with a ruched bodice that beautifully draped her figure. Woody, meanwhile, exuded sophistication in a classic black tuxedo, complete with a bow tie and a crisp white shirt. Woody proposed to Mimi in April 2022 in their backyard. The couple welcomed their first child together in October of that year. In the lead-up to their star-studded wedding, they both found themselves getting emotional on air. 'I feel like the luckiest person in the world getting to marry Mimi because she is truly the most amazing person I've ever come into contact with. She's always putting others before herself,' Woody said of his wife. 'She's just so much fun. At all times, she just makes any situation very silly and very childish. 'I just can't believe I will be calling her my wife, and I get to spend the rest of my life with her.'
News.com.au
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Australian radio star Woody Whitelaw reveals live on-air he's about to become a dad for a second time
Radio presenter Woody Whitelaw has revealed that he is expecting his second child with his wife, Mimi Gibbs. The happy couple, who tied the knot last year in a ceremony surrounded by friends and family, already share two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Remi. On Tuesday, Woody announced the news on his KIIS FM radio show Will & Woody. 'So Will, you are currently completely dressed as Elsa here in the studio,'' Woody said. 'A little bit embarrassed, I'd say, because you thought the reason I've brought my daughter and my wife in here was to try and convince her to take off her Elsa dress by pretending to be Elsa. Well, that's not actually why my wife and my daughter are in here. You can leave the dress on, though.' 'I just have a question to ask Remi. Hey Remi, what is in Mummy's tummy?,' he continued. Remi then replied: 'A baby'. Woody went on to share that he and Mimi haven't learned the gender of the new baby yet. 'It is quite stressful though, because every time we say to her, do you want a brother or a sister, she says a sister. It's going to be quite awkward (if it's a boy),'' Melbourne artist Mimi said on-air. Meanwhile, it's been a busy few months for the couple who tied the knot back in November. The loved-up pair exchanged vows at the picturesque Euroa Butter Factory in regional Victoria, in front of friends and family including their daughter Remi, who walked down the aisle before greeting her dad with a big hug. Mimi was stunning in a white floor-length, one-shoulder gown complete with side split which was designed by Oglia Loro Couture, while the radio star kept it classic with a black tuxedo from Politix. The bride then opted for a shorter dress for the reception, wearing a flirty mini-dress by Elissa Marie Design, who also designed the mismatched black bridesmaid dresses. Their wedding came two years after the radio host proposed to Mimi in their backyard, surprising her with a diamond ring as she lounged on a sun-bed. 'Are you proposing?' a shocked Mimi asked at the time. 'I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to marry me,' he replied, before she quickly said, 'Yes.' The artist then shared a photos of the special moment on Instagram, which she captioned, 'Stuck with me forever #yesplease.'
