South Australia’s premier agricultural events are taking drastic biosecurity measures, with organisers of the upcoming Royal Adelaide Show announcing the complete cancellation of bird and poultry exhibits for this year’s event.

The decision comes amid a sharp spike in H5 bird flu cases across the state, prompting agricultural societies to prioritise animal welfare and long-term biosecurity over traditional competition.

A Preemptive Strike for Biosecurity

The Royal Adelaide Show, scheduled to run from Saturday, September 5 to Sunday, September 13, will go ahead without its usual poultry displays. Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia Chief Executive Will Rayner confirmed the cancellation was made out of an abundance of caution to give exhibitors and volunteers ample time to adjust.

“While we think the risk is very low, we took the decision now to make sure that our volunteers and exhibitors had as much time to prepare as possible,” Mr Rayner said. He noted that bird entries were already down by roughly 20 per cent, suggesting that many hobbyists and farmers were already self-regulating to protect their flocks.

Mr Rayner acknowledged the disappointment for the approximately 150 volunteers, stewards, and exhibitors directly affected but emphasized that the complex biosecurity guidelines recommended by authorities were too difficult to implement fully in a crowded show environment.

“We felt at the show we couldn't comply with everything they were asking to do, and so we took this decision and we took it now,” he added, pointing out that birds represent a small fraction of the event's 26,000 competitive entries.

Rapidly Rising Case Numbers

The scale of the outbreak has escalated rapidly. South Australian Environment Minister Emily Bourke revealed that confirmed H5 cases in the state have jumped from just five to 119 in less than three weeks. South Australia now accounts for more than three-quarters of the national total of 155 cases, excluding a massive wild bird mortality event recorded at Baudin Rocks near Robe.

Despite the high numbers, authorities have stressed that the virus remains confined to wild bird populations.

“We know that H5 is currently in wild seabirds,” said PIRSA Biosecurity Executive Director Georgie Cornish. “It isn't yet in poultry — we're very clear on that with people. We also know this is a moving feast.”

Country Shows Follow Suit

The caution is spreading to regional events as well. Organisers of the Port Lincoln Show have opted to withdraw all chickens, ducks, and geese from their event.

Port Lincoln poultry convener Simon Drewitt defended the strict approach, highlighting the catastrophic potential if the virus leaped to domestic birds.

“We've taken the precautionary approach because if this gets into the poultry we know how devastating it's going to be,” Mr Drewitt said. “Now all of a sudden it's on our doorstep. We don't want to bring it home to our flocks.”

Local poultry exhibitor Tojo Mullan, based in Yeelanna, supported the decision to keep his prized birds at home. While he believes the immediate risk is low, the potential loss is too high to ignore.

“I'd be 99 per cent sure we'd be safe, but it's not worth the risk to go to Lincoln with the chooks and show them and come home and wipe them all out,” Mr Mullan said. “It's a sensible decision; there's just so much money involved with the stock—acquiring it, breeding it, keeping them—you just don't want to lose them.”

While pigeons are still permitted at the Port Lincoln Show, entries are down by two-thirds, and owners will be required to quarantine their birds upon returning home.