The Animal Welfare Committee - the first 500 days

Animal Welfare Committee
Some members of the Animal Welfare
Committee and guests, from left:
Mr John Martin, Chair, NAEAC; David
Bayvel, Director Animal Welfare,
Biosecurity New Zealand; Professor Grant
Guilford, Head of the Institute of
Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical
Sciences, Massey University; Jockey
Jensen, Director Compliance and
Enforcement, Biosecurity New Zealand;
Professor David Mellor, Director,
Animal Welfare Science and
Bioethics Centre, Massey University.
(Absent from photo: Douglas
Birnie, Derek Belton, Barry O’Neil, Brett
Sangster, Andrew McKenzie, Alan Kerr,
Peter O’Hara (Chair, NAWAC),
Keawe Woodmore (MFAT)).

In the lead up to the establishment of Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) in 2004 it was proposed, and subsequently agreed by the BNZ Executive Management Team, that there was a need for a ‘whole-of-MAF’ forum to play a communication, consultation and coordination role in respect of the MAF animal welfare function. The need to involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) and National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC) was also recognised.

The Animal Welfare Group was established in July 1999, in recognition of the increasing strategic importance of the MAF animal welfare function. The rationale for the inclusion of animal welfare within the then Biosecurity Authority was the subject of a report by Professor Des Fielden in 2000. In 2004, the Director-General determined that the group should continue to be part of BNZ.

The animal welfare function works closely with other groups within MAF, including:

  • Compliance and Enforcement Group (CEG)
  • MAF International Trade Policy
  • New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) including the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Group and NZFSA Verification Agency
  • BNZ Policy
  • Pre-clearance
  • MAF Legal
  • MAF Communications.

In addition to its close working relationship with NAWAC and NAEAC, the Animal Welfare Group also has important external relationships with:

  • Federated Farmers of New Zealand
  • industry organisations (including Livestock Improvement, Dexcel, Dairy Insight, Deer Industry New Zealand, Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand, Egg Producers’ Federation, Meat Industry Association, Meat and Wool New Zealand, Pork Industry Board)
  • New Zealand Veterinary Association
  • RNZSPCA
  • Royal Society of New Zealand/Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching
  • Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Centre, AgResearch
  • Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, Massey University
  • MFAT
  • Trans-Tasman Animal Welfare Working Group.

Over the last decade, important international networks have been established and, over the last five years, involvement with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) animal welfare initiative has been an activity of particular strategic significance.

To ensure that the BNZ Animal Welfare Group continues to work closely with other MAF businesses and to interact with key external stakeholders, the following terms of reference were agreed for the Animal Welfare Committee to:

  • ensure that agreed animal welfare priorities (both operational and strategic) are coordinated on a whole-of-MAF basis, using formal project management methodology, when agreed appropriate.
  • ensure that recommendations made to the Minister by both NAWAC and NAEAC are responded to on a whole-of-MAF basis using formal project management methodology, when agreed appropriate.
  • provide a forum for formal and regular two-way communication with key external stakeholders.

Committee activities include:

  • strategic and operational overview of MAF animal welfare activities, including comment on, and monitoring of, NAWAC, NAEAC and Animal Welfare Group strategic and operational plans
  • coordinating and prioritising non-secretariat support for both NAWAC and NAEAC
  • monitoring strategic trends arising from CEG enforcement activities
  • considering proposed amendments to the Animal Welfare Act 1999
  • identification of strategic priorities
  • identification of research priorities
  • monitoring international trends involving animal welfare and ethics
  • monitoring of capacity and capability and succession management preparedness
  • reviewing policies and procedures.

The group interacts regularly with key stakeholders, by inviting groups identified above to attend quarterly meetings, on a rotational basis. The establishment of such a group has facilitated the coordination of pan-MAF animal welfare activities, assisted in prioritisation, promoted external stakeholder interaction and provided ‘meta-leadership’ of the MAF animal welfare function.

Return to:

Page last updated: 19 June 2008