Learn more about what we’ve heard so far and how to stay involved. Keep checking this page for updates as the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS) is developed.
APS principles for partnership and engagement
The Australian Public Service (APS) is expected to meet certain standards for engagement and participation.
The consultation process through to 2027 will be consistent with the APS Charter of Partnerships and Engagement. This will include being clear about how information and views will be used, providing opportunities for diverse voices to be heard, and ensuring that decision making is underpinned by science and evidence.
There is a comprehensive governance structure responsible for the AAWS renewal, with final oversight by Australia’s Agriculture Ministers, through the Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting (AMM).
Current consultation
A second round of consultation on the renewal of the AAWS opened on Monday 17 March 2025 through the department’s Have Your Say platform and will close on 4PM (AEST) Monday 14 April 2025.
We’d like to hear from you on whether the actions identified under the previous AAWS remain important for a renewed, modern and future-focused AAWS.
Your input to this second round of public consultation will help us identify:
- how important the action is for inclusion in the animal group chapters of the renewed strategy, or
- whether the action is no longer relevant to the current animal welfare landscape.
Head to our Have Your Say page to get involved.
Consultation during 2025 is focused on the development of the animal group chapters, which will outline the practical actions needed for meaningful improvements in Australia’s animal welfare system.
To help inform this work, we are undertaking a stocktake of priority areas for action for animal welfare identified through the previous strategy, which lapsed in 2014.
The practical actions will be mapped against the priority workstreams identified during the first round of consultation.
The first round of consultation
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry conducted a first round of consultation on the renewal of the AAWS from 8 March 2024 to 8 July 2024.
Feedback received through this first round of consultation is helping to shape the development of the AAWS.
Australian Animal Welfare Strategy: consultation summary report
This report provides a thematic analysis of the stakeholder feedback received through the first round of consultation on the renewal of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS).
This first consultation included the release of a discussion paper through the department’s Have Your Say platform, which was open for input from 8 March to 30 June 2024.
The Have Your Say invited input through both survey and submissions, and was open to all Australians to share views and insights on the following aspects of the renewed AAWS:
- vision for the strategy
- work streams
- challenges and opportunities for animal welfare in Australia.
As part of the consultation process, the department held meetings with a broad range of stakeholders from across the animal welfare system.
The department also commissioned a series of focus groups and interviews. These sought learnings from individuals involved in the lapsed AAWS, and input from key stakeholders on the renewal of the AAWS and development of a National Statement on Animal Welfare, which will underpin the renewed AAWS.
Renewing the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy: discussion paper 2024
Australian Animal Welfare Strategy: stakeholder engagement list
Upcoming consultation opportunities
The AAWS will be developed and released in chapters from 2025 to 2027. Each chapter will focus on identifying practical actions for a specific animal group, ensuring detailed and focused discussions. The 6 animal groups are:
- livestock and production animals
- aquatic animals
- animals in the wild (native, introduced and feral animals)
- companion animals
- animals used for work, sport and recreation
- animals used in research and teaching.
Discussions will be structured around key work streams: leadership and coordination, research and development, standards and implementation, education and communication, reporting and compliance, and international engagement.
Consultation will be ongoing. We will test insights and priorities throughout the development process from 2024 – 2027.
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