Development of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for the Land Transport of Livestock: Process and philosophical considerations

The development of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for the Land Transport of Livestock (known as Land Transport Standards and Guidelines) is the first in a series of projects to develop consistent animal welfare standards and guidelines in Australia. The project represents an evolution in the way in which animal welfare policy is developed in Australia. The standards will be the animal welfare requirements that must be met under law for livestock welfare purposes, and the guidelines are the recommended practices to achieve desirable animal welfare outcomes.The development work has been carried out under the auspices of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS). The project is part of the AAWS vision for national standards that are maintained and enforced in a consistent, cost-effective manner and that reflect contemporary scientific knowledge, competent livestock husbandry, and mainstream community expectations. The development process for the standards and guidelines is laid out in a business plan that provides for effective and transparent stakeholder consultation and a public consultation period before final recommendations on the standards and guidelines are made to the government.This paper discusses the process and philosophies for development of the standards and guidelines and gives an overview of the content. After 6 reference group meetings, the Land Transport Standards and Guidelines went to public consultation on March 29, 2008 for a 60-day period. After revision, complete consensus was not achieved in 2 additional meetings; the major unresolved issue is the measures relating to the transport of bobby calves. An agreement has been reached to further examine the bobby calf situation, and the standards and guidelines have been recommended for government endorsement, which was expected in April 2009.