28 October 2020
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| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
Export Advisory Notice 2020-25 PDF  |
2 | 169 KB |
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Online Content
Species: Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Buffalo
Countries: All
Attention
- Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council
- LiveCorp
- Livestock Exporters
- Meat and Livestock Australia
Purpose
To advise exporters that they may use reports from audits against LGAP standards to demonstrate compliance with Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) independent auditing requirements.
Key points
- Independent auditing requirements under ESCAS remain unchanged (as directed in EAN 2018-01 and 2015-06), except that exporters may now submit audit reports issued against LGAP standards as part of an Independent Initial Audit Report or Independent Performance Audit Report (IPAR).
- The department has determined
- that the audit companies engaged by AniMark meet the ESCAS requirements for independence, no conflict of interest and possession of an appropriate level of competence and expertise; and
- Audits against LGAP standards will meet all requirements of an ESCAS independent audit.
Instructions
- Exporters seeking to engage auditors through AniMark to fulfil part of their ESCAS audit requirements should contact AniMark.
- IPARs must continue to be scheduled in accordance with the risk-based auditing requirements in exporters’ individual ESCAS approval documents.
- LGAP audit reports should be submitted to the department via LAE.ESCAS@awe.gov.au as part of an IPAR submission or when applying for a new or varied ESCAS approval.
Background
In 2016, the Government made a commitment to implement LGAP, a third-party quality assurance and conformity assessment scheme. LGAP is an industry-initiated program designed to work with ESCAS in ensuring the welfare of exported feeder and slaughter livestock from discharge in-market up to and including the point of slaughter.
In order to implement an accreditation process for third-party providers of assurance services, legislative amendments will be required. Such amendments will not come into force until the commencement of the Export Control Act 2020 and Export Control (Animals) Rules 2020 in late March 2021.
As an interim measure, the department has worked with industry to develop an administrative solution to allow exporters to use audits against LGAP standards to demonstrate compliance with ESCAS independent auditing requirements.
- LGAP standards and auditor guidance have been assessed as being equivalent to those required by ESCAS.
The administrative arrangements will be reviewed and, if required, amended following the commencement of the Export Control Act 2020 and Export Control (Animals) Rules 2020.
[Signed]
Joffrid Mackett
Director
Live Animal Export Branch
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
Contact officer
Patrick Cass
Phone: 02 6272 4581
Email livestockexp@awe.gov.au