FAQs related to National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC)

The Animal Welfare Compliance Plan (292 KB) was developed in 2010 to improve compliance with the Animal Welfare Act (1999). MAF and a range of other organisations are currently implementing initiatives under the plan to support those who genuinely want to comply with their animal welfare obligations, and to encourage or compel those who do not.

The proposed animal welfare strategy will support and complement these initiatives, but we expect it to focus more broadly on New Zealand’s animal welfare system as a whole.

A strategy and proposed changes to legislation will be finalised and provided to Cabinet in the second half of 2012. From there, Cabinet will determine the timeline for changes to be approved and implemented.

It is expected that strategy and legislation option documents will be released during a public consultation phase in the first half of 2012. Everyone will have the opportunity to express their views on the development of the strategy and legislative changes, and recommendations provided to the Government will take account of these views.

The advisory group is made up of representatives with a range of animal welfare perspectives, including on farm; processing; consumer; science; veterinarian; animal advocacy; and marketing and trade perspectives.

MAF is leading the development of the strategy and legislative amendment proposals. An advisory group of representatives with a range of perspectives on animal welfare matters has been set up to provide expertise as proposals are developed. The advisory group will meet regularly from July 2011.

Key partners and stakeholders involved in animal welfare in New Zealand will also be contacted to gain an understanding of their views about the system and the gaps that a strategy needs to fill.

There will be a public consultation phase in 2012 where everyone will have the opportunity to express their views on the development of the strategy and the proposed legislative changes. Recommendations provided to the Government will take account of these views.

Work on the strategy will support a concurrent review of animal welfare legislation – in particular the Animal Welfare Act 1999. The Act has functioned well to support New Zealand’s animal welfare system to date, but requires review in some areas. Linking the legislation review with the strategy development will help ensure that the legislation fully supports New Zealand’s overarching animal welfare strategy.

A national strategy for New Zealand’s animal welfare system is being developed because, although our current animal welfare system has served us well, there is no explicit strategy setting out New Zealanders’ expectations for animal welfare. As society evolves, and animal welfare challenges continue to arise, the need for such a strategy increases, to help guide decisions and clarify the vision for New Zealand’s animal welfare system.

This strategy will also provide an opportunity to formalise the animal welfare systems currently in place and look at the roles and responsibilities of Government and other organisations so that we all have a shared understanding of how our systems can be improved over time.

This falls under a specific provision controlled by the New Zealand Racing Conference or New Zealand Harness Racing Conference. For other horse users the provisions for use of the whip are spelt out in the Whips and spurs section of the code of minimum standards and recommendations for horses.

  Yes, but under certain conditions. Minimum standards for the use of electric or electronic collars are in the code of welfare for dogs.

A code of welfare for zoo animals came into force in January 2005. Codes of welfare contain minimum standards and may include recommended best practices. The code for zoo animals includes details on such things as animal management, food and water, housing and environment, behaviour and stress, health and disease, transport, and euthanasia. A copy of this code is available on this website and in your public library, or can be obtained by emailing animalwelfare@maf.govt.nz.

A code of welfare for circus animals came into force in January 2005. Codes of welfare contain minimum standards and may include recommended best practices. The code for circus animals includes details on such things as the obligations of owners, circus operation, food and water, shelter, accommodation and housing, animal training and performances, disease and injury control, and transport. A copy of this code is available on this website and in your public library, or it can be obtained by emailing animalwelfare@maf.govt.nz.

Animal welfare legislation can be found at www.legislation.govt.nz . Click on Statutes (which are listed alphabetically) and you will find the Animal Welfare Act. You can also purchase all legislation from Bennetts Bookshops.

Hard copies of the Guide to the Animal Welfare Act and the User’s Guide to Part 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 (dealing with the use of animals in research, testing and teaching) can be obtained by emailing the Animal Welfare Group.

Codes of welfare can be found on this website or obtained by email. University libraries hold copies and you can request a copy from your public library.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, people must attend to the physical, health and behavioural needs of animals in their care. These needs are further detailed in codes of welfare. Codes of welfare also contain minimum standards, including minimum standards on the provision of shade and shelter.

The provision of shade and shelter has important economic and practical implications for farmers. The issue of shade and shelter is not clear cut. Shelter and shade may be provided in a number of ways including the use of topographical features such as gullies or hollows (of adequate depth), natural features such as stands of trees or scrub, hedges or shelter belts, or artificial structures such as buildings, hay stacks, etc.

There is ongoing research on shade and shelter in New Zealand conditions, and NAWAC will be studying this research in order to make practical recommendations in new codes of welfare for farmed animals.

New Zealand exports a wide range of species including horses, deer, cats, dogs, bees, goats, day-old chicks, ferrets, wallabies, embryos and semen. Livestock are especially sought after because of their high genetic value and because New Zealand is free of most major exotic diseases. Animals are shipped live because they are used for breeding, or for slaughter in the country of arrival. Groups that are too large for transport by air may be taken by sea.

New Zealand is currently not shipping any cattle for slaughter, and the export of live sheep for slaughter has dwindled since the 1990s, with the last shipment being in 2003. It does, however, export cattle and sheep for breeding.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, all animals for export (unless specifically exempted) must be issued with an Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC), which takes account of animal welfare requirements and covers compliance with standards.

An experienced New Zealand stockman must accompany shipments of cattle. Some shipping companies also send veterinarians. All shipments are inspected by a MAF veterinarian before they depart.

A shipping report is completed at the end of each voyage which records any deaths, the weather, feed and water supplies, and any issues which affected the welfare of the animals.

Sea-bound shipments have additional requirements in the Maritime Rules, which are monitored by the Maritime Safety Authority. These cover ventilation, feed and water, space requirements, pen height requirements etc.

As a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), New Zealand has certain obligations under WTO agreements. New Zealand cannot prohibit the export of animals to other WTO member countries on the basis of management procedures in the country of importation.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee is currently developing a code of welfare for the shipping of livestock.

After consultation the Government has decided to restrict the sale and use of leg-hold traps in New Zealand. New regulations came into effect on 1 January 2008.

The requirements for keeping pigs are described in the code of welfare for pigs.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), which recommends codes of welfare to the Minister of Agriculture, looked at conflicting evidence for and against various production systems for pigs when it was considering this code.

It decided that the current alternatives to these systems do not guarantee better welfare for pigs and may, in fact, reduce the welfare of the sows and/or their piglets. Alternative systems need very careful management to ensure adequate animal welfare.

Although pigs can be free to roam and perform normal behaviours in alternative systems, they can have some problems for the welfare of pigs. For example, aggression can be a problem in group-housed pigs and piglets can be crushed when sows lie down.

NAWAC will review its decisions in 2009.

For detail on the reasons for its recommendation, see the report (173 KB) with the code of welfare for pigs.

For detail on the ways in which NAWAC makes decisions on codes of welfare, see the NAWAC guidelines.

The requirements for keeping egg laying hens are described in the code of welfare for layer hens. The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), which recommends codes of welfare to the Minister of Agriculture, looked at conflicting evidence for and against various production systems for egg laying hens when it was considering this code.

It decided that based on the limited information available about current alternatives to cages, it cannot be concluded that these alternatives guarantee better overall welfare for hens.

Alternative systems need very careful management to ensure adequate animal welfare. Although hens are free to roam and perform normal behaviours in these systems, cages provide some advantages over them. For example, hens are not exposed to adverse weather conditions or predators (eg harrier hawks) and fighting, dust, disease from faecal material, ammonia levels, and the cleanliness of eggs and birds is more easily managed.

NAWAC will review its decision in 2009. For detail on the reasons for its recommendation, see the reports (first (133 KB) and second (263 KB)) with the code of welfare for layer hens. For detail on the ways in which NAWAC makes decisions on codes of welfare, see the NAWAC guidelines.

MAF is improving procedures for assessing imported goods for biosecurity risk. Under the 2003 Regulations, risk assessment on import documentation is performed manually and MAF recovers the cost through an import documentation fee. This fee has been applied to risk goods only, but all imported goods need to be assessed for risk.

MAF screens all imported goods for the risk they pose to New Zealand. The biosecurity risk screening levy 2006 will be a new cost to importers who have previously not been charged the import documentation fee. Import entries identified as non- risk goods (such as shrink wrapped television sets) will be given a biosecurity clearance with no delay and no further cost beyond the biosecurity risk screening levy. Imported goods considered to be a risk will be identified for further consideration by MAF.

The Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2003 have been in place since May 2003 and charges have not been amended since then. The new charges reflect current costs and changes in MAF’s operations. In its provision of cargo clearance services, MAF needs to:

• Ensure that any changes in practices required at the border are adequately cost recovered;
• Avoid under and over recovery of costs over time;
• Ensure charges remain fair and equitable.

The key changes are:

• An increase in the MAF hourly rate inspection charge to $100 per hour;
• A new method of charging to recover costs relating to the primary screening of import documentation; a biosecurity risk screening levy of $3.38 will be charged on all imported goods that attract New Zealand Customs Service's import entry transaction fee. The biosecurity risk screening levy replaces the current inspection of import documentation fee from 1 October 2006. The levy will be collected by Customs on behalf of MAF.
• A new method of charging to pay for sea container clearance system costs and the increased monitoring and verification activities required by the revised import health standard for sea containers; A levy will be charged on all imported sea containers of $16 for full sea containers and $7 for empty containers.
• The number of categories of inspection charges for used vehicles has been reduced from 15 to four and the fee structure has been simplified. Inspection and re-inspection of used vehicles will be charged at the same rates.

After the release of its discussion paper Border Clearance Costs and Organism Identification Requirements in April 2006, MAF found that it needed to make modifications to some of its proposals outlined in that discussion paper in light of the consultation feedback received and changes in trade volumes and some costs. The reasons for this were:

• The volume of used vehicles, containers and general cargo had fallen further than anticipated;
• The Office of the Auditor- General had released its report on Managing biosecurity risks associated with high-risk sea containers recommending that MAF undertake additional work on containers;
• Some further costs had been identified.

Consequently, the shipping container levy was increased to enable more work to be undertaken on sea containers and the biosecurity risk screening levy was increased to fund more risk profiling effort and systems development as recommended by the Office of the Auditor-General report and further internal work. The hourly inspection rate was also increased slightly to ensure sustainability of the fees for the next 3 years.

The new charges under the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006 become effective from 7 September 2006. Imported goods that land in New Zealand and require biosecurity clearance from 7 September onwards will be charged the fees contained in the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006.

Importers will be able to pay in cash for fees incurred under the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006.

A charge for waiting time will be applied in the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006. This is payable at the applicable hourly rate for a MAF inspector or veterinary inspector for the time each inspector spends in waiting for the goods to become available.

Those being charged can minimise charges by ensuring compliance with the required standards and thus avoid additional inspections. Importers/transitional facilities can minimise charges by ensuring that risk goods are available for inspection at the time that has been booked, and that labour is provided for unpacking and repacking goods. Transitional facilities also need to be kept to the required standard.

Organism identification is costly work and the fees in the 2003 Regulations charged by the MAF Investigation and Diagnostic Centres (IDCs) did not reflect the true cost of the organism identification work. The fees for the identification of organisms provided by MAF IDCs are not set by the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006 but are contestable and subject to market forces. Where MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Clearance Service inspectors undertake an organism identification, this would be charged at $100 per hour.

MAFBNZ will apply the following organism identification charging policy for the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006:

• Organism identification required for risk profiling and other information gathering making purposes will be funded by the Crown;
• Importers will be required to pay for organism identification only where it is required to determine whether goods can be cleared for entry into New Zealand. The organism identification charge will be applied to all organisms, ie, regulated and non-regulated.

Travel zones fees have been introduced to ensure consistency nation-wide and to provide transparency for such fees. There are four zones. Each zone has been calculated to account for a return trip from the base site. MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Clearance Service has developed zone maps for each key location:

• Zone 1: $45 0-10 km radius
• Zone 2: $70 11-25 km
• Zone 3: $140 26-50 km
• Zone 4: $200 51-75km

Travel over 75 km is charged on the hourly rate of the inspector for the time that he or she has spent away from base, plus actual and reasonable costs. A zone fee will be applied for each visit. Where more than one inspection is undertaken during the same visit, the zone fee will be shared. If a subsequent re-inspection is required, then an extra zone fee will apply.

MAF anticipates that the new charges will stay in force for at least 3 years. The biosecurity risk screening levy, the shipping container levy and used vehicle inspection fees in the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006 are subject to memorandum accounting. Memorandum accounting means that if for example, trade volumes were to increase and MAF was to earn more funds than needed, excess funds can be carried forward to cover costs for the following year.

These words indicate that your container requires one or more actions to be taken on the wharf. Once the action has been taken, MAF will issue a BACC allowing your container to move from the wharf. Contact your local MAF office with an Application for a BACC to confirm the transitional facility to which your container will go and the email address / fax number where they should send the BACC. You should have your Customs Client Reference number or ECI number on your application so MAF can look up your container.

If you have received this message in response to a Customs Import Entry, your container can be moved off the wharf and taken to a MAF-approved transitional facility, where it must be checked by an Accredited Person. This message replaces the BACC to remove a low-risk container from the wharf. You do not need to lodge an Application for a BACC with MAF. This message does not constitute final MAF clearance of the container. The Accredited Person who checks the container at the devanning facility must still file a container log sheet for the container and obtain final MAF clearance for the container.

If you have received this message in response to a Customs ECI report for a loaded container being moved under bond, your container can be moved off the wharf and taken to a MAF-approved transitional facility. It must be held unopened until the contents list and hard copy Quarantine Declaration, if available, are presented to MAF and a direction given regarding the container. The message replaces the BACC to remove the container from the wharf, but MAF must evaluate the internal contents and status of the container before the container is opened. This message does not constitute final clearance of the container.

If you have received this message in response to a shipping ECI report for an empty container, your container can be moved off the wharf and taken to a MAF-approved transitional facility, where it must be checked by an Accredited Person and/or subject to an equivalent system. This message replaces the BACC to remove a low-risk container from the wharf. It does not constitute final MAF clearance of the container.