Renewing the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy

Hello,

I am , I have been employed for the past eight years in the animal agriculture industry.
Over these years, I have witnessed an alarming disregard for animal welfare outcomes, largely driven by a focus on profit over wellbeing. Compelled by my experiences and concern for animal welfare, I am putting forth this submission. I believe there is a pressing need for an independent welfare agency, separate from those whose primary interest lies in profit maximisation.

General comments

I find it disturbing that we might need to wait three more years for the renewal of the Australian
Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS). The proposed timeline, stretching to 2027, seems unnecessarily protracted. I see no reason why the different chapters of the strategy can't be developed concurrently, given the likely overlap and commonality of issues. I urge the Australian Government to allocate additional funding to expedite the renewal process so that the new AAWS can be finalised within a shorter timeframe.

The revised AAWS must recognise the sentience and inherent value of animals. While protecting animal welfare does yield numerous benefits for humans, the AAWS should not exclusively focus on these instrumental benefits. Instead, it should underscore the intrinsic reasons for why safeguarding animal welfare is crucial. The sentience of animals, as acknowledged in the previous version of the
AAWS, is the very reason why animal welfare matters.

Question 1. Does this vision statement reflect everything you feel an Australian Animal Welfare
Strategy should aim to achieve?

The vision for the AAWS should depict the future that the strategy aspires to create. The proposed vision sounds more like a mission statement, focusing on what the AAWS aims to do (establishing an animal welfare system, bringing stakeholders together, identifying priorities, etc.) rather than outlining a vision for the future. I believe the 2008 version of the AAWS vision encapsulates this idea more effectively: "The welfare of all animals in Australia is promoted and protected by the development and adoption of sound animal welfare standards and practices".

Question 2. Do the proposed streams cover the right priority areas for the strategy?
I believe all the proposed work streams are vital for the effective functioning of the AAWS. I anticipate that the Education and Communication work stream will focus on promoting community and industry outreach activities to ensure people understand their legal responsibilities towards animals and are informed about opportunities to improve welfare outcomes. The Reporting and
Compliance work stream is crucial to the AAWS's efficacy and to ensuring states and territories fulfil their duty to implement nationally agreed standards consistently and promptly.

Question 3. Are there any shared factors affecting animal welfare that cut across all, or multiple, animal groups? For example: Climate change, innovation, workforce retention.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will impact all animal sectors, either directly through its application to specific forms of animal use and interaction, or indirectly through the broader socio-political changes it engenders. The effects of AI on animals could be either immensely positive or negative. Therefore,
AI governance models should consider independent expert advice on implications for animal welfare.

Long-term trends in public attitudes, values and beliefs about animals will also impact all animal sectors. The AAWS should enable monitoring and tracking of such trends to ensure Australia’s approach to animal welfare remains relevant and consistent with public values and expectations.
This will also assist animal-based industries in planning for future adjustments to practices to promote their sustainability.

Questions 4 & 5. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Australia’s animal welfare system?

The absence of independent governance of Australia's animal welfare system not only harms animal welfare but also undermines democratic principles by obstructing the expression of public will.
Recent research by BehaviourWorks Australia revealed that over 86% of Australians believe the law should require all sentient animals to be provided with good welfare. Over 80% believed that an independent and impartial authority should make final decisions on animal welfare policy, not the
Departments of Agriculture. These concerns were echoed in research commissioned by the federal
Department of Agriculture in 2018. A significant challenge for Australia's animal welfare system is the discrepancy between public expectations of animal welfare governance and the current system's provisions. Allowing this gap to persist fosters declining confidence and increasing distrust in the system. It's no coincidence that countries with more independent governance frameworks than
Australia, where they have adopted a formal role for independent expert advice and decision making, have more advanced animal welfare standards.

Questions 6 & 7. What do you think are the biggest opportunities for Australia’s animal welfare system?
In my opinion, the establishment of a national Animal Welfare Commission, as recommended by the
Productivity Commission in 2016, would greatly benefit Australia's animal welfare system. The advantages of setting up a new national animal welfare body were also recognised in the 2022
Review of the Independent Poultry Welfare Panel commissioned by the Department of Agriculture.
The Review found that an independent statutory animal welfare authority would provide numerous benefits, including:

- clear independence from political and stakeholder interests

- relevant expertise through the appointment of suitably qualified personnel

- an objective issues prioritisation framework

- research to address identified knowledge gaps

- tracking and reporting on state progress regarding standards implementation

- public reporting on collective state and territory compliance and enforcement activity

- assisting industry and government in avoiding future costs associated with loss of social licence.

In conclusion, I believe these changes are vital to ensure the welfare of animals and meet the expectations of the Australian public. I trust my insights will be considered in your decision-making process.

Regards,