The facts about regulation
The facts about industry initiatives
The facts about research & development
The facts about value and contribution

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The livestock transport industry cares about animal welfare, and supports strong and consistent regulation of animal transportation across Australia.

The industry recognises that animal welfare is an integral part of good animal husbandry and is at the forefront of initiatives to continuously improve the transportation of livestock within Australia.

The industry also recognises the importance of research and development in contributing to improved management and animal welfare practices.

The transportation of livestock is a major Australian industry and is valued at A$12 billion.

The facts about regulation

The livestock transport industry is committed to delivering positive animal welfare outcomes and supports strong and consistent regulation of animal transportation across Australia.

The road transport of livestock in Australia is regulated under state/territory road transport and animal welfare legislation.

Animal welfare legislation or Prevention of Cruelty to Animals legislation exists in all states and territories and is administered as follows:

• Victoria – Department of Primary Industries
• NSW – Department of Primary Industries
• SA – Department of Environment and Heritage
• WA Department of Local Government
• Queensland – Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
• Tasmania – Department of Primary Industries and Water
• Northern Territory – Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries and Mines
• ACT – Department of the Environment

This mix of state/territory departments with responsibility for animal welfare creates some cross-jurisdictional issues that have been recognised and are being addressed by industry, government and animal welfare organisations under the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS).

Transport Codes of Practice, Standards and Guidelines

In addition to regulation, national Model Codes of Practice also exist for the land transport of cattle, pigs, poultry and horses. Codes of Practice for sheep exist in draft form. These codes cover areas including minimising stress, pre-transport preparation and loading density during transport. They were prepared in consultation with industry, governments and animal welfare groups (including the RSPCA), and received endorsement from the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC).

The codes have either been adopted under state and territory animal welfare legislation, or complementary codes have been developed. Enforcement of code requirements is through state or territory jurisdictions. 

The need for consistent adoption of national codes is also being addressed under the AAWS.  Animal Health Australia (AHA) is currently managing a project to reformat existing animal transport codes into animal welfare Standards and Guidelines with the involvement of industry, government and animal welfare organisations (including the RSPCA). It is anticipated these drafts will go to public consultation along with a Regulatory Impact Statement in early 2008, and be presented for PIMC endorsement in April 2008.

These Standards will be mandatory under state and territory jurisdictions, and a separate AAWS project involving all states and territories is focusing on consistent adoption of these changes at the regulatory level.

The facts about industry initiatives

The road transport industry is continuously improving the transportation of livestock by road within Australia, with livestock carriers providing a state of the art, professional approach to the care and handling of animals.

There has been significant innovation and investment in the Australian livestock transport industry for many years and the industry has worked with the RSPCA in a number of initiatives relating to improving the welfare of animals in transit.  These include the quality assurance program, Truckcare, and the “Is it fit to load?” guide.

These initiatives are being widely adopted throughout the industry. A major survey of livestock transport operators conducted by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) in 2007 identified that the majority of operators are providing staff training in livestock handling as well as fatigue training and accreditation programs.

Truckcare

Truckcare is a state of the art livestock transport quality assurance program operated by the Australian Livestock Transporters Association (ALTA), with the endorsement of the RSPCA and Federal Government.

The independently audited program provides assurance that animal welfare is a top priority in the preparation and transportation of livestock by road, by ensuring:

• Correct preparation of livestock prior to pickup, i.e. operators encourage producers to ensure that animals are off feed and are settled prior to truck arrival.
• Loading facilities promote a quiet movement.
• The truck crate is well maintained, i.e. there are no holes or protrusions.
• Drivers are trained in stock handling.
• Drivers manoeuvre the truck as smoothly as possible – with sudden starts and stops avoided where possible.
• Livestock are kept on the truck for the minimum period of time.
• Livestock are checked during transit.

For more information on Truckcare, please click here.

“Is it fit to load?”

A national guide that helps determine if an animal is fit to be loaded for transport - 'Is it fit to load?' - has been developed in consultation with the livestock industry and the RSPCA. 

This guide has been distributed widely to industry and is available from MLA, livestock agents, the RSPCA and ALTA.

The facts about research & development 

The livestock transport industry recognises the importance of research and development in improving animal welfare and management practices.

Research and development provides the basis on which animal welfare Codes of Practice’s are developed and amended over time, as well as providing the scientific underpinning for industry quality assurance schemes.

Recent research has focused on the impact of extended road journeys on animal welfare by assessing physiological changes in the animal during transport and in the post transport period.

MLA has conducted several studies into livestock road transport and animal welfare in conjunction with the CSIRO and AUSVET Animal Health Services.

Overall the studies found:

• Both sheep and cattle can be transported up to 36 hours without any animal welfare concerns. This can be extended to 48 hours in favourable circumstances and if the livestock are travelling well (as set out in the existing Model Codes of Practice).
• Livestock transport practices in Australia are supported by science, with additional research focusing on areas where gaps in knowledge remain.

The facts about value and contribution

The livestock transport industry is widely dispersed across Australia, with businesses ranging from large scale national carriers to smaller localised operators. 

The transportation of livestock is a major Australian industry providing a vital service to the meat and livestock industries. Over 50 million head of livestock (cattle, sheep and lambs) are transported on Australian roads each year.

A draft Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) has been prepared for public consultation on the estimate value and size of the livestock transport industry. The RIS, which is set for release in early 2008, estimates value of the road transport industry at A$12 billion.

The RIS also estimates that cattle, sheep and lambs are transported each year on Australian roads at a cost to farmers of between $$773M to $827M, highlighting the significance of road transport to farmers across Australia.