State Animal Welfare Legislation Summary
The State and Territory governments have the principal responsibility for animal welfare. Each State and Territory government has an Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) that provides advice on animal welfare issues and on associated legislation.
State and Territory government officers are responsible for implementation of the provisions of animal welfare legislation, and in many cases designated officers of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) also have authority to prosecute offenders.
A review of animal welfare legislation in Australia shows that it is far from uniform in detail, although the broad principles are similar. State Acts have broad wording that tends to encompass a variety of events and allow the court to decide each case on an individual basis.
|
State / Territory |
Principal Act |
State Code of Practice |
Administering Department |
Fact Sheet |
|
QLD |
Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 and the Animal Care and Protection Regulation 2002 |
National Model Code is regulated under the Act |
DEEDI - Biosecurity Queensland |
|
|
NSW |
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 and the Preventtion of Cruelty to Animals (General)Regulation 2006 |
Animal Welfare Code of Practice for Commercial Pig Production 2009 is regulated under the Act
|
NSW Department of Primary Industries |
|
|
VIC |
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2008. Livestock Management Act 2010 |
Code of Accepted Farming Practice for the welfare of pigs (Revision 2) 2008 will be regulated under the Livestock Management Act |
Department of Primary Industries VIC |
|
|
SA |
Animal Welfare Act 1985 and the Animal Welfare Regulations 2000 Part 5 - Pigs |
National Mode Code is embedded in the Act |
Department of Environment and Natural Resources SA |
|
|
WA |
Animal Welfare Act 2002 and the Animal Welfare (General) Regulations 2003 |
National Model Code is now regulated under the Act |
Department of Agriculture and Food WA |
|
|
TAS |
The Animal Welfare Act 1993 and the Animal Welfare Regulations 2008 |
National Model Code will be regulated under the Act |
Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment |