Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association has lodged a submission in response to a consultation regulation impact statement proposing changes to horse transport standards.
The proposals were recently considered by our National Driver and Animal Welfare Committee.
ALRTA’s submission is supportive of targeted changes to the horse standards. This will mean new legislation and new or modified rules specified in the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines – Land Transport of Livestock 2012 as it applies to horses.
Specifically, we have supported new standards requiring:
- a written record of last access to water;
- a transporter to manage welfare risks and take corrective actions due to heat stress;
- horses with poor body conditions score (0 or 1) not to be transported without vet advice;
- foals with unhealed umbilical stumps not to be transported except to foster mares;
- transporters to ensure horses have sufficient space to maintain a comfortable standing position and balance (instead of adhering to loading density tables);
- a prohibition on transporting horses in multi-deck trailers (except where only the lower deck is used and there is sufficient vertical clearance);
- a prohibition on transporting mixed loads of handled and unhandled horses; and
- removal of hind shoes where horses are travelling to slaughter.
ALRTA has strongly opposed a proposal to move from a 24 hour time off water limit to a 12 hour journey time limit. This proposal is inconsistent with standards for all other species and introduces unacceptable operational / regulatory risks. We have however supported a reduction in the time off water limit to 15 hours to align with BFM fatigue rules.
ALRTA expects a decision regulatory impact statement on the refined proposal to be released in 2023.
