Royal Melbourne Show foot and mouth biosecurity plans get Victorian chief vet approval

Speaking at the Melbourne Showgrounds on Thursday, Graeme Cook said the fluid situation and dangers around foot and mouth disease entering Australia was being reviewed everyday.

"Our advice may change over time, but currently we are quite happy to go ahead with the organisation of the [Melbourne Royal] Show," Dr Cook said.

"People will have different attitudes to their own approach to risk, depending on the value of their animals or how they perceive the situation unfolding.

"We are reviewing the situation everyday working with Commonwealth colleagues."

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The launch of the Melbourne Royal Show - after a two-year COVID-induced hiatus - took place simultaneously as the state government announced it would subsidise the cost of children under 14.

It means children will be able to attend the September and October event free of charge.

The $3.5 million investment by the government includes $1.5m for other regional Victorian agricultural shows.

Dr Cook said he was optimistic about the situation surrounding FMD domestically, noting Australia had kept the disease out of the country for more than 100 years.

He said, however, there were plans in place should the disease reach Australian shores.

"We won't preempt those just to say FMD is not in Victoria and very robust measures are in place to keep it out," he said.

Should it enter Australia, Dr Cook said a range of biosecurity restrictions would be placed on the agricultural industry, including at shows, saleyards and the processing sector.

"The intention then would be to slow down the rate of infection should it arrive in Australia," he said.

"There is always a sliding scale and we are some way away from that.

"That would happen over a period of time and Victoria has very good early warning system and of course contingency plans are there in order to provide a response to different scenarios."

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Meanwhile, the subsidisation of children's' tickets to the show, which has ran for more than 170 years, could provide some relief to families grappling with increases to the cost of living.

But with more than 50 days to go before the show, Royal Melbourne Show chief executive Brad Jenkins said the organisation would continue to monitor the FMD situation domestically.

"We're all excited about having the show up and running again and we're constantly reviewing, monitoring and working with [Dr Cook] and his team and Agriculture Victoria and we'll follow the advice," he said.

"We're really confident in our planning, our biosecurity plan and really confident with the relationship with the [agriculture] minister's office... let's create every opportunity for the show to come back."