Background
The state and territory governments through the application of prevention of cruelty to animal legislations are responsible for the regulation of animal welfare in Australia.
One of the key objectives of the ‘Australian Animal Welfare Strategy’ (AAWS) is to facilitate consistency of legislation across states and territories for improved and sustainable animal welfare outcomes.
In 2005 a review of ‘Model Codes of Practice for the Welfare of Animals’ (MCOP) was conducted as many MCOP are implemented at different levels in state and territory legislation and are viewed as (voluntary) guides. As a result it was recommended that the MCOP be converted into ‘Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines’.
The conversion process involves a range of stakeholders, including relevant state and territory government agencies, DAFF, representatives from industry sectors, as well as animal welfare and research organisations.
From an animal welfare perspective, this process will cover all welfare aspects for cattle. The draft standards and guidelines for cattle currently include chapters on:
- Responsibilities and competency
- Feed and water
- Risk management of extreme weather, natural disasters, disease, injury and predation
- Facilities and equipment
- Handling and management
- Castration, dehorning and spaying
- Breeding management
- Calf rearing systems
- Dairy management
- Beef Feedlots
- Humane killing
Each chapter within the standards and guidelines for cattle will contain:
- Objectives - these are the intended overall outcome(s) for each section of the standards and guidelines
- Standards - these are the requirements that must be met under animal welfare law
- Guidelines - these are the recommended practices to achieve desirable animal welfare outcomes; they describe better animal welfare outcomes compared to the standards. Non-compliance with guidelines will not be an offence.
The Regulation Impact Analysis (RIA)
A key aspect to creating animal welfare standards is to identify the costs and benefits that they will have for a wide range of stakeholders. This is typically done by preparing a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS).
A RIS is a required document prepared by the department, agency, statutory authority or board responsible for a regulatory proposal. The RIS includes recommendations for the most effective and efficient option and formalises and documents how authorities have assessed the costs, benefits and the possible changes to an existing (or a new) regulation.
Authorities are required to conduct public consultation to seek feedback and determine the level of support for the RIS. When the RIS is assessed, it must include a consultation statement that shows how consultation was undertaken, who was consulted and a summary of their views, and those views that were considered.