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The Australian Government is working together with states and territories to develop and implement nationally consistent standards and guidelines for farm animal welfare. The Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines update and replace the Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals, for particular animal industries. The standards are designed to be implemented in state and territory legislation.
The department has provided significant international leadership in the development of the 'Regional Animal Welfare Strategy: Asia, the Far East and Oceania' (RAWS) in association with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
The Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) version 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.
State and territory governments are responsible for animal production and welfare laws and their enforcement. The states and territories set and enforce animal welfare standards through administration of state legislation for animal welfare or the prevention of animal cruelty.
November 2024
The Export Control (Meat and Meat Product) Rules 2021 require that the occupier of an establishment engaged in the preparation of meat and meat products for export has an Approved Arrangement.
The purpose of the Approved Arrangement is to clearly describe those processes and practices which, when correctly applied by the occupier, underpin certification of meat and meat products for export.
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General requirements for on-plant laboratories (PDF 681 KB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
| Northeast | Area | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
| John Ryan (FOM) | North East | 0466 429 312 |
| Monique Cwach | Central East | 0400 294 959 |
| Chinniah Arunagiri | North East | 0409 479 012 |
| Mauricio Bara | North East | 0408 187 938 |
This policy has been removed. An updated version is currently in development pending consultation. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 2023
Application form to be used by Australian exporters of edible meat, offal (including casings) and/or meat products of cattle, sheep or goats, to obtain or renew a licence to export meat or to notify a change of details of a licensee.
Saleyards must be EUCAS accredited to trade EUCAS cattle that can be used to produce meat for export to the EU. A saleyard is a centre where transaction of cattle by auction takes place. An accredited saleyard may trade EUCAS cattle and non-EUCAS cattle.
The following documents relate to EUCAS accreditation for saleyards:
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