Public consultation on the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) review
We are conducting a targeted review of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS). This is the framework which ensures animal welfare, control and traceability outcomes are in place for exported feeder and slaughter livestock in importing countries. Our review will ensure components of the framework remain robust, functional, and effective.
Review stages
We are conducting the review in 3 stages:
stage 1: current state and challenge identification (complete)
stage 2: develop and test recommendations (complete)
stage 3: refresh and production of materials (in progress)
Consultation for stage 2 of the ESCAS review closed on 31 May 2024.
How you had your say in stage 2
We sought feedback on draft recommendations for improvement to the ESCAS framework. The recommendations aimed to address challenges across the following key areas:
monitoring and verification activities
control and traceability
noncompliance management
administration
animal welfare standards
We invited feedback from a range of targeted stakeholder groups.
This included:
Livestock exporters
Peak livestock export industry bodies and representatives
Livestock producer bodies
Animal welfare organisations
Federal, state and territory government authorities
You gave feedback through our online survey.
What happens next
The department is reviewing the draft recommendations in light of stakeholder feedback. We will let you know about further consultation activities later in the year.
How you had your say in stage 1
We sought feedback on current challenges within the ESCAS framework. We released the stage 1 discussion paper and asked for feedback on the 5 key focus areas.
As a response to your submissions, we published the stage 2 aggregated report on our analysis of your feedback.
Your feedback was used to develop draft recommendations for improvements to the ESCAS framework, which were provided for feedback in stage 2.