This paper recommends a cost sharing approach for footrot management in Western Australia (WA). Appropriate public and private contributions are determined through an assessment of the benefits produced by the Department of Agriculture’s footrot management program. With rising costs a decreasing departmental budget over time, moves towards a beneficiary pays approach to footrot management have been long anticipated. Although the principles underpinning the framework for national animal disease management (put forward by the Centre of International Economics in 1998) have been agreed to by WA industry stakeholders, this paper provides an alternative approach for cost sharing based on the principles of beneficiary analysis.