Disposing of carcasses after bushfire, flood or drought

The most common method of carcass disposal following bushfire, flood or drought events is on-farm burial (more on burial site requirements below). However, it may not be an option for all properties. Alternative options may be available.

If burial is not possible, covering the carcasses with a thick layer of mulch can help to reduce odour and the visual impact of the animals. This is a short-term solution which provides time to arrange proper disposal, but it will not necessarily create a fully composted material.

Green waste may be available from your local council. Contact your local council for further advice.

Composting deceased livestock with mulch or green waste is a beneficial process that breaks down the carcasses into a useful product. It’s important to realise that composting is an active process, not a set-and-forget method. Information on how to compost safely can be found compost and farm biosecurity.

Detailed information about composting dead stock can be found in the EPA’s composting mortalities on farm guidance.

Knackeries in your area are an option for disposing of deceased, unsaleable or suffering livestock. Some knackeries will euthanase injured livestock on-farm and remove the carcasses.

Some rendering plants can process large volumes of animal material. They are located throughout Victoria.

Taking deceased livestock to a licensed landfill for disposal is an effective option for agricultural emergencies. Landfill sites charge a fee per tonne. Contact your nearest facility – not all can accept animal carcasses.

Commercial composting operations can accept animal carcasses that are then used to produce compost. A fee is usually charged per tonne. Contact the operator to ensure deceased livestock are accepted.

Contact your nearest knackery, rendering or composting facility to find out what animals they will take, transportation requirements and requirements regarding the condition of animals or carcasses.

Contact your local council for information on landfill sites and whether animal carcasses can be accepted.

Alternatively, in an emergency contact the Livestock Disposal Advisory Service for advice and for further details of sites for disposal of livestock.

Planning for on-farm burial should consider the following:

• Environmental impacts
• Environment protection regulations
• Logistics
• Safety

Locate the burial pit in a safe location. To reduce any impact on the environment (such as contamination of ground or surface water), a burial site should be located:

• at least 200 m from any groundwater supply (stock and domestic bore)
• at least 2 m above the water table level (measured from the bottom of the pit)
• at least 200 m from any surface water (creek, river, lake or spring), excluding dams that are not seeping into groundwater or flowing offsite
• away from surface water drainage features, low points or areas at risk of erosion
• on clay soil of low permeability and good stability
• away from underground and above-ground infrastructure (such as powerlines, telephone and fibre optic lines, gas lines, water pipes or sewerage)
• above the one-in-100-year flood level
• at least 200 m from another burial area
• on elevated land but with a slope of less than 5% (preferably less than 2%)
• away from conservation areas and areas of cultural sensitivity
• at least 200 m from the boundary of neighbouring privately owned land
• at least 300 m from any sensitive use (such as a neighbouring house)
• out of view of the public (by either being far away from public areas or by screening).

Use the Navigating Farm Development Tool to determine a suitable burial pit location in line with the burial criteria above. Although this tool is designed for an emergency animal disease event, the burial criteria are the same for bushfire, flood or drought.

Use the Visualising Victoria’s Groundwater map portal for determining groundwater levels.

Burial pits should be monitored for signs of leachate, erosion or scavenger activity. Take appropriate corrective action if these issues are detected.

A potential burial site should be assessed for suitability by an EPA representative to minimise its potential impact. In a bushfire response, an onsite assessment may not be practical. Provide the EPA the property address, number and type of livestock (for example, sheep or cattle) and proposed location for the burial pit. Record the location of each disposal site for future reference using a global positioning system (GPS) and/or drawn on a farm map.

Animal carcasses should be moved to the intended burial site as soon as possible. A front-end loader and bucket is suitable for moving sheep and similar-sized animals. Large animals (horses, bulls) are more readily moved with a 4-tyne hay fork or silage grab attachment, if available.

A deep, narrow, vertically sided trench pit is suitable for stable soil.

If pit walls appear unstable, the sides of the trench should be battered (cut at a safe sloping angle) to prevent the trench collapsing and ensure the safety of personnel. WorkSafe Victoria can provide information on safety precautions for emergency trenching operations.

The pit should be designed to allow deceased livestock to be pushed in, typically from one of the long sides. Excavators can be a safer option where soil stability may be an issue.

It is critical to establish a safe operating zone, especially if other machines such as front-end loaders are to be used.

Use the following dimensions as a guide to on-farm trench burial:

• Depth – 4–5 m (depending on reach of machinery, soil stability and depth to water table). Base of pit to be at least 2 m above water table level
• Width – not greater than 3 m wide (to allow for even spread of animals in the pit)
• Length – depends on number and size of carcasses to be buried (volume)
• Backfill – at least 1 m of soil to cover deceased livestock
• Volume – will vary according to number and size of animals

Volume requirements

Previous experience has shown that approximately 10 adult sheep in poor condition and with limited wool will take up one cubic metre of pit space (North-East Region Flock Reduction Scheme). A 156 m³ pit (3 m wide, 13 m long, 4 m deep) will be sufficient to  bury 22 beef cattle with 1.8 m of soil cover (Longwood fire 2026).

As a guide, allow 1.5 cubic metres of pit space for one adult beast or 5 adult sheep in good condition (AUSVETPLAN Disposal Manual, 2015).