The ASEL outlines the minimum animal health and welfare conditions exporters must meet when exporting livestock.
The current version that exporters must comply with is ASEL 3.2.
ASEL 3.2 errata
On 18 November 2021, the department published ASEL 3.2. Following its release, minor publishing errors were identified in the online documents, and stakeholder feedback raised an issue that required clarification in the text of some pregnancy testing standards. These issues have been rectified in the online versions of the ASEL 3.2.
If you have printed a copy of ASEL 3.2 from the website, please update relevant standards in line with the errata.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock 3.2: Errata (A4) PDF | 8 | 318 KB |
| Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock 3.2: Errata (A4) DOCX | 8 | 393 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
2021 Update of the Australian Standard for the Export of Livestock
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment has committed to undertaking regular consultative, user-centric updates and reviews of the standards, to ensure they are fit-for-purpose and based on science, evidence and best practice.
The 2021 update of the ASEL has resulted in a new version of the standards, ASEL 3.2. The update reduces uncertainty, and improves readability and usability. Where possible, it addresses feedback received on the standards since the introduction of ASEL 3.0 in 2020, including feedback received during public consultation on a draft ASEL 3.2 in September and October 2021.
Key changes
ASEL 3.2 key changes include:
- clarifying definitions, certification requirements, segregation of animals
- expanding the use of approved blood tests in pregnancy diagnosis
- providing more flexibility in pen space and record-keeping for sheep in registered establishments
- providing more flexibility in penning animals together
- adding a notification requirement for loading of foreign fodder
- providing more flexibility in allocating crate space for livestock exported by air
- removing of redundant standards.
Issues raised that were complex or would result in a large regulatory impact have not been addressed in this update but will be reviewed in separate processes in consultation with industry and stakeholders. Key issues that were not addressed in the 2021 update, but will be prioritised for review in 2022, include:
- marking and isolation of rejected livestock
- registered establishment requirements for buffalo
- clear days requirements (days spent in registered establishment)
- housing and management of sheep in registered establishments
- requirements for reporting
- implementation of ammonia monitoring and stock handlers on aircraft.
To assist ASEL users to understand changes, and update operations and documents, a tracked changes version of ASEL 3.2, outlining changes from ASEL 3.1, can be found below.
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Consultation on a draft ASEL 3.2 and submissions
A draft ASEL 3.2 was published on the departments Have Your Say website for a 4 week period to give stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft before finalisation of the standards.
The department received 14 submissions, of which 9 were provided in confidence. The department’s response to stakeholder feedback on the standards can be found below. Submissions that were provided by authors who agreed to have them published can also be found below.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock 3.2: Response to feedback (A4) PDF | 114 | 1.9 MB |
| Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock 3.2: Response to feedback (A4) DOCX | 114 | 3.5 MB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
The following submissions are owned by the relevant organisations and individuals, and as such they are responsible for the factual accuracy of these documents. Some of the content has been redacted on privacy grounds. The department also reserves the right to not publish any submissions which it deems inappropriate. The views contained in these submissions represent the views of the authors and are not necessarily those of the department or the Australian Government. Published submissions may not meet Australian Government accessibility guidelines as they have not been prepared by the department.
Download
| Submission | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Animals Australia (A4) PDF | 2 | 152 KB |
| Anonymous One (A4) PDF | 1 | 58 KB |
| Cattle Council of Australia (A4) PDF | 2 | 222 KB |
| LiveCorp (A4) PDF | 16 | 428 KB |
| Sentient, The Veterinary Institute for Animal Ethics (A4) PDF | 4 | 139 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Previous reviews and updates
ASEL 2.3 was reviewed in 2018/19 by a Technical Advisory Committee consisting of an independent chair and experts in animal health and welfare, regulatory design and the livestock industry.
The outcome of the review included 83 recommendations that were used to revise ASEL 2.3. ASEL 3.0 commenced on 1 November 2020, including:
- increases to the time required for some livestock to be prepared at the registered premises
- changes to the notifiable mortality rate for livestock and the requirements for notification
- a new definition of voyage length with related changes for personnel, bedding and feed requirements
- inclusion and extension of additional management plans for sea and air
- new general requirements, and species-specific requirements for standards 1, 3, 5 and 6.
More information on the technical advisory committee review of ASEL 2.3 can be found online.
ASEL 3.1 was published in March 2021 to align the text of the standards with new legislative references only, including:
- references to the Export Control Act 1982, the Export Control (Animals) Order 2004, the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Standards) Order 2005 and the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997 have been replaced by the Export Control Act 2020 and the Export Control (Animals) Rules 2021 where applicable
- Australian Government Accredited Veterinarians (AAVs) are now accredited veterinarians
- health certificates are now certificates of health
- registered premises are now registered establishments
- operators (of a registered establishment) are now occupiers.
Important links
Export Control (Animals) Rules 2021
Live Animal Export Advisory Notices
How to provide feedback
For questions or feedback on the ASEL, email aselreview@awe.gov.au