Animal welfare in Australia
Animal welfare within Australia is generally a state and territory responsibility. However, there is a collaborative approach to managing animal welfare that requires the cooperation of all layers of government and the broader animal welfare system.
The Australian Government’s responsibility relates primarily to international trade. This includes export of livestock and meat products, and consideration of trading partner requirements when negotiating trade deals. The Australian Government is also responsible for providing input to international negotiations on animal welfare and supports the development of international standards through its membership of the World Organisation for Animal Health. It negotiates treaties (e.g. the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – CITES) and ensures compliance with treaties it signs.
State and territory governments have the primary responsibility for animal welfare regulation in Australia. This includes preparing and enforcing animal welfare legislation, providing suitable institutional and legislative frameworks, developing appropriate policies and programs, and making policies and programs readily accessible to the public.
Local governments have responsibility for some areas of domestic animal control which can impact both animal welfare and public health, such as dangerous dog provisions. This includes providing feedback to state and territory governments on animal welfare legislation and the promotion and maintenance of responsible animal ownership.
Animal industries also play an important role in Australia’s system. Animal industries work with governments and other stakeholders like veterinarians, animal welfare groups and research bodies to deliver optimal animal welfare outcomes domestically and, where applicable, for the international market. This role includes engagement with animal welfare standards and guidelines development and implementation. Various animal industries have also developed their own best practice guidelines for animal welfare, as well as certification and quality assurance systems. Many industries have developed sustainability frameworks to guide and monitor the sustainability of industry practices into the future. Industry and the Australian Government co-invest in a range of research, development and extension activities to support continuous improvement in animal welfare.
Governance structure for the AAWS
The governance structure for the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS) is designed to provide appropriate oversight of the all-animal scope of the AAWS.
The governance framework uses existing mechanisms for joint leadership and cooperation on animal welfare. This will be primarily through the cross-jurisdictional Animal Welfare Task Group (AWTG), with final oversight by Australia’s Agriculture Ministers, through the Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting (AMM). These existing mechanisms will be supported by an Australian Government cross-portfolio Sponsor Group, to capture input on animal welfare issues by responsible portfolio agencies.
The AWTG is a subgroup of the Agriculture Senior Officials’ Committee (AGSOC). The AWTG has officials from the Australian Government, and state and territory governments. The New Zealand government is also a part of AWTG, as an observer.
Read more about the Animal Welfare Task Group.
The Agriculture Senior Officials’ Committee (AGSOC) is a forum for agency heads to coordinate, cooperate and collaborate on matters affecting Australia's primary production sectors. AGSOC membership comprises of heads of departments with portfolio responsibility for biosecurity, agricultural production, and trade from each jurisdiction.
Agriculture Ministers' Meeting (AMM) comprises of Australian and state and territory agriculture ministers. They work collaboratively on national issues relating to the agriculture sector, including fisheries and forestry.
Read the AMM communiques.
Other Australian Government agencies also have responsibilities for animal welfare.
The Australian Government cross-portfolio Sponsor Group is a key part of the governance structure supporting the renewal of the AAWS.
The Sponsor Group includes representation from:
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
- The Department of Health and Aged Care:
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Strategy Advisory Group
A five-person Strategy Advisory Group (SAG) has been established as part of the governance structure that is supporting the renewal of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS). The SAG will provide strategy development advice to the department at key points during the renewal of the AAWS. It is not a decision-making group.
SAG members are non-representative and have a range of experience and skills that will support the renewal of the AAWS.
- Chair – Deputy Secretary, Agricultural Trade and Regulation Group, DAFF
- Deputy Chair – First Assistant Secretary, Plant and Live Animal Exports, Welfare and Regulation Division, Agricultural Trade and Regulation Group, DAFF
Professor Wendy Umberger
Professor Umberger is directly responsible to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and was appointed CEO for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in 2023. As agency head, the CEO manages the administrative and financial affairs of ACIAR and its staff.
Professor Umberger has played influential roles in sustainable agriculture for over 20 years. From 2013 to 2022, she founded and led the Centre for Global Food and Resources at the University of Adelaide, which engaged with policymakers and industry to make positive changes in agriculture, food, and resource systems. Professor Umberger has also served as President of Australia's Policy Advisory Council (for International Agricultural Research and Development) from 2020 to 2023 and was on the Board of Trustees of the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) from 2015 to 2021.
Professor Umberger is an Honorary Professorial Fellow in the School of Agriculture and Food at the University of Melbourne and an expert in agricultural economics, development, and food policy. She has worked on food system issues across the Indo-Pacific region and led interdisciplinary value chain research projects in Asia, Australia, North America, the Pacific Islands, and South Africa. Her research has explored opportunities for smallholder agricultural households to produce high-value (horticulture, dairy, beef) food products and adopt new technology to access modern food value chains.
Professor Umberger is also a Director of the International Association of Agricultural Economists, a board member of Food Bank SA, an Honorary Fellow of Food Standards Australia New Zealand, a Distinguished Fellow of the Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society and served as an Independent Director of Grain Producers South Australia (GPSA) for six years.
Professor Umberger has a B.S. in Animal Science (1996), an M.S. in Economics (1998) from South Dakota State University and a PhD in Agricultural Economics (2001) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Professor Alan Tilbrook
Professor Tilbrook currently holds the position of Professor of Animal Welfare at The University of Queensland, with a joint appointment in the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation and the School of Veterinary Science. Nationally and internationally recognised for his expertise in animal welfare, his research disciplines include endocrinology, neuroendocrinology, stress psychology, animal welfare science, behaviour and reproduction. He has conducted research across various species, including sheep, pigs, poultry, cattle, goats, buffalo, rodents, horses, and humans.
Professor Tilbrook played pivotal roles as a co-founder, Deputy Director, and Co-Director of the Animal Welfare Science Centre, as well as the Co-founder and Director of The Animal Welfare Collaborative. Moreover, he holds the position of Chair and Research Champion of the National Primary Industries Animal Welfare Research, Development, and Extension Strategy. Professor Tilbrook is a board member of the Australian & New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART), representing Universities Australia and a member of the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Dr Bonny Cumming
Dr Bonny Cumming is an experienced veterinarian with a broad range of strategic planning and project management skills. With a career focused on One Health principles, she integrates community development, public health, veterinary services, and environmental conservation to enhance the wellbeing of animals, humans, and ecosystems. Raised on Jarowair and Giabal land on the outskirts of Toowoomba, Dr Cumming's career has exposed her to an incredible diversity of species, environments, and contexts—from busy wildlife triage hospitals to research with elephant seals in Antarctica, and from working as a general practitioner delivering individual animal veterinary care to designing and implementing companion animal population health strategies in remote Australian communities.
Dr Cumming holds the position of Head of Innovation and Strategy at AMRRIC (Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities), where she has worked since 2013. In this role, she develops, delivers, and evaluates strategic remote Indigenous community animal management initiatives, involving on-ground animal health and biosecurity capacity-building training, advocacy, and One Health focused research. Since 2018, Dr Cumming has additionally been a Project Manager at The University of Melbourne Veterinary School. Through this work, she has managed multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional One Health, biosecurity and emergency animal disease research and capacity development collaborations.
Dr Cumming holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science with First Class Honours (University of Queensland, 2008), a Masters of Veterinary Studies in Conservation Medicine (Murdoch University, 2012). Her professional journey reflects a deep commitment to advancing veterinary science and enhancing community health through innovative and inclusive strategies.