Land transport of livestock standards and guidelines

The Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Land Transport of Livestock (also known as Land Transport Standards) have been adopted into Victorian legislation under the Livestock Management Act 2010. The Land Transport Standards have been updated to improve the welfare of horses during transport.

These nationally agreed animal welfare standards and guidelines were developed cooperatively by the livestock industries and government under the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy. The Land Transport Standards are based on the revision of the current Model Codes of Practice for Welfare for the transport of various livestock species.

Animal species covered by the Land Transport Standards

The Land Transport Standards apply to the major commercial livestock species including:

• cattle
• sheep
• goats
• pigs
• alpaca
• deer
• poultry.

They also apply to:

• horses
• buffalo
• camels
• emus
• ostriches (also known as ratites).

The Land Transport Standards cover the transport of livestock by road and rail, and by livestock transport vehicles aboard a ship.

A separate set of standards, the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock cover the requirements for live export of livestock by ship.

Who do the Land Transport Standards apply to?

The standards apply to all persons (livestock operators) involved in the livestock transport process. Livestock operators include the consignor, transporter and receiver of livestock and will often include saleyard and feedlot operators, agents and livestock processing plants.

The chain of responsibility for livestock welfare in the transport process is:

• the consignor for the assembling and preparation of livestock, including the assessment and selection as 'fit for the intended journey', food and water provisions, and holding periods before loading.
• the transporter for the journey, which involves the loading, including final inspection as 'fit for the intended journey', the loading density, visual inspections, providing water, food and rest periods (also known as a spell) during the journey, and unloading.
• The receiver after unloading.

Obligations as a livestock operator

The Livestock Management Act 2010 (LMA) requires all livestock operators involved in the livestock transport process to comply with the Livestock Transport Standards. There will be court penalties and/or infringements for those operators found to be in breach of the standards.

The Livestock Management Act 2010 requires all livestock operators involved in the livestock transport process to comply with prescribed livestock management standards including the Land Transport Standards. There will be court penalties and/or infringements for those operators found to be in breach of the standards.

The Livestock Management Act also requires livestock operators to conduct a systematic risk assessment within 6 months of any prescribed livestock management standards being adopted into legislation. This involves an assessment of the likely animal welfare risks of the livestock management activity.

Note that livestock operators who are participating in an Agriculture Victoria approved compliance arrangement, such as an industry Quality Assurance (QA) program, are deemed 'accredited livestock operators'. They are exempt from conducting the systematic risk assessment as a risk assessment would have been performed under the rules of their approved QA program.

Definition of standards and guidelines

Standards are the legal requirements for livestock welfare and use the word 'must'. The standards detail the requirements of livestock management practices and tasks.

Guidelines are recommended practices to achieve desirable welfare outcomes. Guidelines use the word 'should' and are designed to complement the standards.

Land Transport Standards

The Land Transport Standards document  has 2 sections:

• Part A: General standards and guidelines applicable to all livestock species.
• Part B: Specific standards and guidelines for animal species.

Part A: General standards and guidelines for the transport of livestock

There are 6 sections of 'general' standards in Part A of the document that are applicable to all livestock species, each of which contain one or more standards and a number of guidelines.

1. Responsibilities and planning

• These standards identify the people responsible for the care and management of livestock at all stages of the transport process.
• They identify certain journey planning requirements which must be carried out and require that contingency measures are in place to minimise risks to livestock welfare.
• The guidelines list the recommended practices for consignors, drivers and transport companies, receivers and those responsible for trip planning.

2. Stock-handling competency

• The objective of this standard is to ensure persons responsible for handling, managing or transporting livestock are competent, and that all those involved are either competent or supervised by a competent person.
• The guidelines outline the elements of competency for each phase of the transport process.

3. Transport vehicles and facilities for livestock

This standard requires livestock transport vehicles and facilities for holding, loading and unloading livestock to be constructed, maintained and operated to minimise the risks to the welfare of livestock.

4. Pre-transport selection of livestock

• The objectives of these standards are to ensure all livestock prepared and selected for transport, are 'fit for the intended journey'. For guidance, refer to Is it fit to load? by Meat and Livestock Australia.
• The standards detail certain criteria for which an animal is deemed 'not fit for a journey', and what must be done with animals assessed as unfit. It is the responsibility of the consignor to ensure that they only supply livestock that are assessed as 'fit for the intended journey'.
• The transport driver has a joint responsibility in ensuring only animals assessed as 'fit for the intended journey' are loaded.
• The guidelines give recommendations on selection of livestock and food, water and rest considerations.

The standards outline:

• That livestock must be provided with water, food and rest once the maximum permitted time off water is reached, before continuing the current journey or before starting another journey.
• The timeframe in which stock must be provided with water at a saleyard or spelling facility when no documentation is available indicating when stock last had access to water.
• Determination of loading density and segregation of animals.
• Livestock handling that is appropriate to the animal species and class to minimise pain and injury.
• Limitations on the use of electric prodders and dogs.
• Actions required when distressed or injured stock are identified.

The guidelines provide recommendations on:

• Loading, including density.
• The handling of livestock.
• The care of weak, ill or injured livestock.
• Segregation during transport.
• Driving management.
• Managing thermal comfort.
• In-transit inspections.
• Food, water and rest during and after journeys.
• Unloading and identifying ill or injured stock on arrival.

5. Loading, transporting and unloading livestock

These standards are to ensure livestock are handled, loaded, transported and unloaded in a manner that minimises risks to livestock welfare.

6. Humane destruction

These standards provide for where it is necessary to destroy livestock, it is done promptly, safely and humanely. The guidelines detail humane destruction methods and procedures.

Part B: Species specific requirements

This section of the Land Transport Standards document specifies the requirements for the transport of various livestock species.

Each species section details standards for:

• The maximum permitted time off water for the class of stock (such as adults, young, pregnant or lactating females). Refer to Table 1 below for maximum time periods for the major commercial livestock species.
• The required minimum spell period once livestock reach the maximum permitted time off water. Refer to Table 1 below for minimum spell periods for the major commercial livestock species.
• Any permitted extension of journey time where feed and water are provided in-transit.
• Restrictions on the use of electric prodders and dogs in certain species or class of animals.
• Restrictions on transport of animals recently shorn or after antler removal.
• Segregation of certain classes of stock.

The species-specific guidelines give recommendations on:

• considerations for long distance travel and fitness
• food and water
• loading density
• vehicles and facilities
• handling
• humane destruction methods

Table 1: Maximum time off water and minimum spelling periods for cattle, sheep, goats and pigs

a. Cattle

b. Sheep

c. Goat

d. Pigs

Livestock Management Standards

The following livestock management standards are currently available:

• Land Transport Standards
• Pig Welfare Standards

More information

You can find more information on animal welfare standards and guidelines below:

• Livestock Management Act 2010
• Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines
• Land Transport Standards — Saleyards
• Land Transport Standards — Agents
• Bobby Calf Transport Standards and Guidelines
• Transporting horses