Minster for Agriculture and Planning Alannah MacTiernan said it has been more than four years since national livestock transport standards were agreed upon and nothing has been done to bring WA into line with the rest of Australia.
The McGowan government is now pursuing an amendment to the 2002 Animal Welfare Act so a series of national standards and guidelines on the treatment of livestock can be enacted in WA.
The national standards and guidelines regarding the treatment of livestock were endorsed in 2012 after extensive consultation with State and Territory governments and industry. WA and the ACT are the only states to yet to enact the new guidelines.
In January 2016 further standards for cattle welfare were endorsed by Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland with the states agreeing to implement the changes by 2018.
Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan said amending the 2002 Welfare Act was an important step in taking animal welfare in WA beyond just the 'prevention of cruelty'.
“By introducing enforceable minimum standards for animal care and management, it will strengthen the industry and pave the way for a sustainable sector. Strong animal welfare and productivity in the agricultural sector go hand-in-hand,” MacTiernan said.
"Our producers take the care and welfare of animals seriously and this will further support them in managing their livestock businesses to community expectations,” she said.
“Changes to the Act will enable these standards to be mandatory and legally enforced in WA and will ensure a nationally consistent approach to animal welfare. There will be further consultation with the State's livestock industries on the approach to implementing the standards.”
In 2015 the then Western Australian Minister for Agriculture and Food appointed an independent panel to review and report on the investment in and administration of the Animal Welfare Act.
The final report made 19 recommendations including the development of an animal welfare strategic plan and policy framework, the strengthening of arrangements for inspector governance, and the implementation of a review of the Animal Welfare Act.
In 2016, DAFWA recruited staff to the Animal Welfare Regulation Unit and commenced the implementation of the recommendations of the review.
