A Bill for an Act to regulate the export of live animals for slaughter, and for related purposes
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the Livestock Export (Animal Welfare Conditions) Act 2012.
2 Commencement
This Act commences on the day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.
3 Schedule(s)
Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.
Schedule 1—Amendments
Australian Meat and Live‑stock Industry Act 1997
1 Section 7
Insert:
treated humanely, in relation to live‑stock, means:
(a) kept in accordance with standards equivalent to Standards 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7(a), 3.7(b), 3.7(e), 3.7(f), 3.7(g), 3.7(h), 3.11, 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (Version 2.3) 2011, published by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; and
(b) transported in accordance with the Terrestrial Animal Health Code published by the World Organisation for Animal Health; and
(c) slaughtered in accordance with clauses 7.9 to 7.12 of the Australian standard for the hygienic production and transportation of meat and meat products for human consumption (AS 4696:2007).
2 After section 17
Insert:
17A Secretary must make orders and give directions to prevent inhumane treatment
If the Secretary has reasonable grounds to believe that live‑stock exported under a live‑stock export licence to a particular country or place is not being treated humanely in that country or place, the Secretary must make such orders and give such directions under section 17 as are necessary to ensure that either:
(a) live‑stock exported under a live‑stock export licence is treated humanely in that country or place; or
(b) live‑stock is not exported under a live‑stock export licence to that country or place.
Note 1: For treated humanely, see section 7.
Note 2: The holder of a live‑stock export licence is obliged to give the Secretary any evidence the holder has that would reasonably suggest that live‑stock exported under the licence is not being treated humanely in a country or place to which the live‑stock is exported: see section 55A.
3 After section 55
Insert:
55A Requirement to notify inhumane treatment of live‑stock exported
The holder of a live‑stock export licence commits an offence if the holder:
(a) has evidence that would reasonably suggest that live‑stock exported under the licence is not being treated humanely in a country or place to which the live‑stock is exported; and
(b) fails to give the Secretary written notice of that evidence.
Penalty: 50 penalty units.
4 Application
(1) The amendments made by this Schedule do not apply during the transitional period in relation to live‑stock exported under both:
(a) an export licence granted before the beginning of the transitional period; and
(b) a contract entered into before the beginning of the transitional period.
(2) In this item:
transitional period means the period of 6 months that begins when this Schedule commences.