Animals

Animal Transport in New Zealand

Animal welfare in New Zealand is governed under the Animal Welfare Act 1999. The Act makes specific provision for the transport of animals. The person in charge of a vehicle in which an animal is being transported is responsible for ensuring that the animal’s welfare is properly attended to and, in particular, that proper and sufficient food and water are supplied.

Codes are developed under the Act and set out the recommendations and minimum standards. A voluntary Code for the Welfare of Animals Transported within New Zealand currently exists and this will be replaced with a new code of welfare for animal transport, currently being developed. The current code contains detail on loading densities, food and drink requirements, journey duration, rest periods and stock handling amongst other things. Codes expand on the principles of the Act. Recommended best practices in the codes are not legally binding, but minimum standards are – failing to meet a minimum standard can support a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is trying to develop the code to be as outcome based (i.e. animal based) as possible. The focus is on fitness of the animal for that particular journey and what consideration should be given, rather than prescriptive details such as maximum journey times, or food and water requirements. It is important to note that this is possible within New Zealand given that travel times and climatic extremes are minimised.

New Zealand has an outcome-focused and scientifically-based domestic animal welfare systems that are highly-regarded internationally. An outcomes based approach allows for flexibility that can mean the most effective ways can be employed to avoid excessive costs for industry, however these approaches can also be difficult to monitor.

A 2006 New Zealand proposal to establish the EC/New Zealand Animal Welfare Cooperation Forum, to formalise and improve information exchange on key animal welfare matters formalised this relationship. The Forum is very much an “equal partner/mutual benefit” arrangement.