Mr Christopher received one of only two awards presented at the Australian Livestock Saleyards Association’s annual conference in Melbourne earlier this month.

Horsham Rural City Council technical services director John Martin said Mr Christopher had been a key member of two international study teams over the past year.

“Paul visited Nepal to gain a first-hand understanding of foot and mouth disease, where the disease is still prevalent,” he said.

“An outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Australia would devastate the livestock industry.

“Early detection of any signs of the disease is vital in managing an outbreak.”

Mr Christopher also visited Europe and Britain.

“He inspected their processes for identification of sheep fitted with electronic ear tags or electronic identification,” Mr Martin said.

“The state government has introduced a requirement for sheep movements to be monitored using electronic tags within the next year.

“The Europe visit has helped in the identification of suitable technology and procedures for this purpose in Horsham.”

Mr Martin said Mr Christopher was a leading participant in many of the association’s activities.

“He acts as a mentor to many of his colleagues across the state, through the combination of his significant practical experience and engaging style,” he said.

“Council congratulates Paul on this outstanding achievement and looks forward to his ongoing contributions to the Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange.”

Horsham councillor David Grimble said about 60 people attended the annual conference.

He said Mr Christopher was well known in the industry.

“He is also well liked because he is a good contributor and has an excellent understanding of livestock and saleyards generally,” he said.