Current standards and guidelines projects

Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Land Transport of Livestock – suitability for horses

Queensland, on behalf of AWTG completed a review of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines Land Transport of Livestock for their suitability for horses.

• 2021-2022

A Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (CRIS) was published by the Office of Impact Analysis (OIA) on 21 September 2022. View the CRIS. The proposals in the CRIS were informed by previous consultation from February 2021.

View a reference copy of the February 2021 consultation paper:

Equine industry stakeholders, livestock transporters and other interested stakeholders were invited to have a say on the costs, benefits and impacts of the proposed options outlined in the CRIS. Public consultation closed on 28 October 2022 and a total of 63 submissions were received.

View a summary of the feedback that was received on the CRIS:

• 2023

Feedback on the CRIS informed the development of a Decision Regulatory Impact Statement (DRIS) which was assessed as compliant by OIA in September 2023.

• 2024

The Queensland Department of Primary Industries (formerly the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) and the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action carried out consultation and worked with the National Horse Traceability Implementation Taskforce to better align record keeping requirements between the two sets of standards.

Agriculture ministers are working towards national endorsement of amendments to the land transport standards.

Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Livestock at Processing Facilities and Establishments

The AWTG, led by Queensland, is developing new Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Livestock at Processing Establishments (the standards and guidelines).

• 2021

An independent scientific literature review was commissioned by the AWTG to inform the development of these standards and guidelines. The review, authored by Dr Leisha Hewitt and Dr Alison Small, evaluates published scientific literature from 2000-2021, and focusses on the welfare aspects of livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, donkeys, camelids, buffalo, rabbits, poultry and other fowl) handling and processing for human consumption in abattoirs.

Read the independent scientific literature review:

• 2022

A Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) comprising key national stakeholder organisations was consulted throughout 2022 and meetings for this stage of the project have concluded.

Read the SAG terms of reference and membership list:

• 2023

Further engagement with the SAG and other targeted stakeholders, including visits to livestock processors, informed practical and technical aspects for the first draft version of the standards. Substantial feedback on this first draft was provided by members of the SAG and AWTG and targeted stakeholders.

• 2024

This feedback was incorporated into a second draft that was provided to key stakeholders. Stakeholder feedback on the second draft is being addressed. A revised draft is being prepared for public consultation and work has commenced to procure a consultant for Regulation Impact Analysis.

• 2025

The Animal Welfare Task Group is working collaboratively with Queensland to action jurisdictional feedback on a third draft of the processing standards. Jurisdictions will meet out of session to continue to progress drafting of the standards in preparation for public consultation.

Contacting the AWTG

Email: awtg@aff.gov.au 
Post: AWTG c/- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,
GPO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia