Victoria postpones new poultry welfare rules by a year amid bird flu crisis
The Victorian government has delayed the rollout of stricter egg and poultry standards by 12 months because of the H5N1 outbreak.
Victoria will push back the introduction of tougher poultry-welfare standards by a full year, moving the start date to mid-2027. The change was intended to align with a national agreement to phase out caged eggs by 2036, but officials said the H5N1 bird-flu crisis requires immediate attention from producers. Agriculture Minister Michaela Settle explained the delay allows farmers to concentrate on disease prevention.
Brian Ahmed, president of the Victorian Farmers Federation egg group, welcomed the decision and noted that growers were not consulted on the original rules. He warned that the farming community will resist any forced removal of cage systems. The government reiterated that the overall goal of ending unfurnished cages by 2036 remains unchanged.
