His farm is a short drive from Portland, where the first case of the H5N1 bird flu was detected last week. After testing confirms the presence of bird flu, poultry are killed en masse and farms quarantined to limit the spread. Since 2020, there have been three outbreaks of H7 bird flu in Victoria, and all were eradicated faster than the last. The H5N1 bird flu strain could have a devastating effect on poultry farmers and chickens. Nicole Cleary Wild bird colonies Portland is home to Australia’s only mainland gannet colony, at Point Danger.