Crisis management in a national biosecurity emergency

Issues and risk management | Media management | Communications strategy
INdustry: poultry
Several brown eggs in a cardboard egg carton

The client:

Two significant egg producers in Australia, each affected by serious avian influenza outbreaks across NSW, Victoria and the ACT.

The challenge:

Over the past two years, multiple outbreaks disrupted operations, emptied supermarket shelves and triggered intense media scrutiny. Balliang Consulting was brought in to support both businesses through the storm with clear, coordinated communication across every stakeholder.

Close-up of a group of brown chickens, with one prominently facing the camera, showing red comb and wattles, in a farm setting.

Our delivery:

Working under extreme time pressure, we provided end-to-end communications support across multiple outbreaks:

  • 24/7 media monitoring and rapid response

  • Stakeholder engagement across staff, retailers, government and suppliers

  • Customer-facing communications and updates

  • Industry coordination and messaging consistency

  • Reputational risk management and media liaison

  • Social media monitoring and issues management

  • Internal communications to maintain staff clarity and morale

In each case, we worked directly with senior leadership teams, helping them respond quickly, communicate calmly, and protect their business and industry standing.

Our impact:

Despite the scale and sensitivity of each outbreak, both businesses remained in control of their message. Media coverage stayed measured, staff remained focused, industry relationships stayed strong and a worst-case scenario was met with best-practice communication.