Feedback sought on draft code of welfare for animal transport in New Zealand

Pursuant to section 71(3) of the Animal Welfare Act 1999, the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) hereby gives public notice of the draft Animal Welfare (Transport within New Zealand) Code of Welfare 16 October 2009.

Description of Code of Welfare

Part 5 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 provides for the Minister of Agriculture to issue codes of welfare on the recommendation of NAWAC. The purpose of a code of welfare is to establish minimum standards with regard to the way in which people care for, and conduct themselves towards, animals which are owned by them or which are in their charge. Where appropriate, the code also contains recommendations for best practice. The recommendations for best practice set out standards of care and conduct that it is hoped all animal owners will aspire to and which, if followed, will lead to good animal welfare outcomes.

The draft transport code applies to all persons responsible for the welfare of all animals during transport within New Zealand. This includes the selection and preparation of animals for transport, loading and unloading, and travel. The code covers all forms of transport within New Zealand territories, including transport on land and by sea and air. The minimum standards and recommendations for best practice in the code relate to responsibilities for meeting code requirements, stockmanship and competency, equipment design and maintenance, preparation and selection of animals for transport, loading and unloading, travel, the provision of food, water and rest, ventilation, monitoring, specific requirements for land, sea and air transport, transport in emergencies, emergency humane destruction and quality management.

NAWAC will carefully consider all submissions received and other matters that it is required to consider under the Animal Welfare Act before finalising the details of the code which it will recommend to the Minister to be issued.

Obtaining Copies or Inspection of the Draft Code

The draft code is available on the website www.biosecurity.govt.nz/animal-welfare, or by request from the below address, and may also be inspected at MAF, Pastoral House, 25 The Terrace, Wellington.

Submissions

Any person may make submissions on the draft code in writing to NAWAC at the following address:

NAWAC Secretary
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140

Or by email to: animalwelfare@maf.govt.nz

Every submission should specify:

(i) Those aspects that the submission supports; and
(ii) Those aspects that the submission opposes; and
(iii) The reasons for supporting the aspects supported and the reasons for opposing the aspects opposed; and
(iv) Any alternatives to provisions of the draft code that the person wishes to recommend.

Further questions are outlined in the request for submissions.

Please note that submissions are public information and may be the subject of requests under the Official Information Act 1982. This Act specifies that information is to be made available to requesters unless there are sufficient grounds for withholding it, as set out in the Act. If you consider that any or all of the information in your submission should be treated as confidential or commercially sensitive, please state this clearly in your submission. Any decision to withhold information requested under the Official Information Act may be reviewed by the Ombudsman.

There are two documents:

Submissions close 30 November 2009. Extensions will not normally be given.

Page last updated: 16 October 2009