The Victorian government has launched a new mobile phone app, Notify Now, to make it easier to report animal diseases.
The app can be used by veterinarians, farmers and animal owners to report notifiable animal diseases and help them play their part in protecting Victoria's valuable livestock.
The Notify Now app uses geotagging to pinpoint the location of the animal carrying the disease and allows users to upload photos of the affected animals.
It is hoped that will improve the quality of data sent to Victoria's biosecurity teams
An Agriculture Victoria spokeswoman said notifying authorities of the presence or suspicion of animal disease was an important element of biosecurity in Victoria, supporting the livestock industry and many thousands of Victorian agricultural jobs.
Early detection of exotic animal diseases was one of the most important ways those who work with animals could reduce the economic and social impacts on the community.
Animal disease notification is a legal requirement in Victoria under the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994.
'Notifiable diseases' are defined by law and must be reported within the prescribed time when suspected by owners, vets, or laboratories.
Agriculture Victoria said using the new Notify Now app was the most efficient way to meet those important obligations, and it could now be downloaded by searching for Notify Now in the iTunes store or Google Play store.
For more information, including the list of animal diseases that are notifiable in Victoria, and their prescribed reporting time, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/notifiabledisease
