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Mandy Bowling
Senior Program Officer

Email Mandy Bowling
08 8297 2299

SA Footrot Program Legislative Changes

Key Changes Effective from 1 January 2025

Notifiable Disease Status

Footrot will be classified as a notifiable (report only) disease.

Movement and Sale of Sheep

All sheep flocks with suspected or confirmed Footrot can be moved or sold directly to another property, provided prior notification of their Footrot status is provided to the purchaser.

Notification Requirements

Footrot status must be declared through:

  • An accurate entry on the National Sheep Health Declaration (NSHD).
  • A formal sales agreement between the vendor and purchaser; or
  • A declaration on an online selling platform.

Restrictions on Movement

Sheep from infected and suspect properties are not permitted to move through a saleyard, transit or spelling facility, or any other interim property except those approved by the Chief Inspector to receive sheep from infected or suspect properties.

Approved Sale Locations

  • The Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange and Mount Gambier District Sale Yards are approved for selling sheep from properties with known or suspected Footrot.
  • These facilities must display warning signage and stamp all National Sheep Health Declarations with a warning statement alerting purchasers to the potential presence of sheep infected with Footrot at the saleyard.

Saleyard Placarding

No placarding of suspected footrot infected sheep at terminal sales will occur.

Surveillance and Investigation

  • PIRSA will continue footrot surveillance at saleyards.
  • Consignments from known infected or suspect properties with accurate National Sheep Health Declaration declarations will not be investigated unless there is an associated welfare issue.
  • For new detections samples will be taken and owners will be notified of the detection.

Legal Obligations

  • If a person knows or has reason to suspect that livestock owned by or under his or her control are affected with footrot, the person must take all reasonable measures to control or eradicate the footrot.
  • A person must not do an act intending that, or being recklessly indifferent as to whether, livestock become affected or further affected with footrot.
  • A person must not, without the approval of the Chief Inspector, bring footrot into the state or cause footrot to be brought into the state.

These changes aim to balance effective disease management and reduce the economic and animal welfare impacts of footrot in South Australia.

Ongoing support will be available for producers to manage and eradicate the disease, and we encourage all members to implement on farm biosecurity practices to prevent the spread of diseases such as footrot.

More Information:

PIRSA:  www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/animal_health/animal_species/sheep/footrot

Footrot Guide – A guide to identification and control in the field


A review of the SA Footrot Management Program was commissioned by Livestock SA following repeated concerns raised about the current program.

An independent consultant conducted a review of the program which included:

SA Footrot Program Review Recommendations

Program Aim

To reduce the economic and animal welfare impacts of footrot across the South Australian sheep industry, by enhancing the understanding, diagnosis, prevention and management of footrot using a collaborative industry approach.

Program Design

A future footrot control program for South Australia should be jointly designed and managed by industry and government.

Program Model

Enhanced industry management of footrot should be adopted as the model for future management of footrot in South Australia.

Interim Program

Consider approving the existing program application for funding, provided it is acknowledged that it will be managed, where possible, in line with the future intended approach.

Communication

Communication to industry of the design and time frames for the future footrot control program should be given a high priority and a full description of program features and requirements should be published on the PIRSA website.

The findings and recommendations from this review were also reviewed by a sperate independent consultant and determined to be sound and reasonable.

To implement the new program recommendations, a broad industry committee was formed.

The purpose of the Footrot Steering Committee was to:

  1. Implement the recommendations of the SA Footrot Management Program Review as outlined in the Ovine Footrot Management Program Review
  2. Develop an industry-led footrot management program for South Australia with the aim to reduce the economic and animal welfare impacts of footrot across the South Australian sheep industry, by enhancing the understanding, diagnosis, prevention and management of footrot using a collaborative industry and government approach.
  3. Respond to issues and provide advice on the current Footrot Management Program, including interim arrangements.

The Footrot Steering Committee consisted of twenty representatives from across South Australia:

  • Independent Chair (non-voting
  • Sheep producers (8)
  • Livestock agents (4)
  • Saleyard managers (3)
  • Footrot contactor (1)
  • Private vet (1)
  • PIRSA representatives (1)

The Committee made several recommendations to the Livestock SA Board on:

  • Legislative changes to allow for the new program
  • Education requirements
  • Other tools to manage footrot including vaccination access, diagnostic tests and incentives

These recommendations were endorsed by the Livestock SA Board and will be used to develop a footrot control program for South Australia that is jointly designed and managed by industry and government.