Communique one

17 February 2021

The National Horse Traceability Working Group (NHTWG) met for the first time on 30 October 2020. NHTWG is a committee constituted by the Agriculture Ministers’ Forum (AGMIN) and the Australasian Racing Ministers’ Conference (ARMC) to provide advice on matters relating to the design and introduction of a traceability system for horses, donkeys and mules in Australia.

A diverse range of stakeholder groups are represented on the committee.

The formation of NHTWG follows the release in November 2019 of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee’s report entitled ‘The feasibility of a National Horse Traceability Register for all horses’ (the report). In line with the report’s recommendations, NHTWG is focusing in particular on horse traceability in the context of the prevention and containment of disease, in particular economically important emergency animal diseases and zoonoses (diseases that can be transmitted to humans from animals).

Horses are kept in Australia for a diverse range of reasons, and this will influence the scope and design of any future national traceability system.

The members of the working group have an excellent mix of knowledge relating to horse industries and communities, as well livestock traceability principles and designs.

NHTWG at its first meeting agreed to seek from organisations represented on the committee their views on what should be the objectives and features of a national horse traceability system.

The committee will next meeting in late February 2021 and is expected to report to AGMIN in early 2022.

For further information please email horse.traceability@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Stuart McLean
Chair, National Horse Traceability Working Group

Back to the Horse traceability page.