Communique six

30 March 2022

The National Horse Traceability Working Group (NHTWG) met on 24 March 2022 to progress its report and recommendations on the design of a traceability system for horses, donkeys and mules in Australia due with the Agriculture Ministers Meeting (AMM) by mid-2022.

After extensive consultation, an assessment of biosecurity risks, and following consideration of the Senate committee’s report entitled ‘Feasibility of a national horse traceability register for all horses’, and Marsden Jacob Associates (MJA) report entitled the ‘National Horse Traceability Project’, the Working Group has agreed:

• on draft business rules outlining industry participant obligations relating to property registration, how microchips where used are to be applied, and movement recording requirements and associated data management, subject to a public consultation phase

Ahead of finalising its report to AMM, the NHTWG is planning to:

• consider responses to a questionnaire sent to horse industry organisations and businesses seeking their views on the possible introduction of a NHTS
• engage with stakeholders to obtain feedback on draft business rules to support the NHTS that the Working Group has in mind
• consider how best to quantify the costs of both establishing and maintaining a microchip based electronic system and a national horse movement database
• provide further recommendations to the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment in relation to investment options for the $1.1 million provided to support work to advance horse traceability in Australia.

The Working Group will next meet in May 2022 to continue work on its report to AMM.

For further information or any enquiries, please email horse.traceability@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Stuart McLean

Chair, National Horse Traceability Working Group

Back to the Horse traceability page.