UOW academic appointed to first national animal welfare strategy

Nov 01, 2005

Associate Professor Heather Yeatman from UOW’s Graduate School of Public Health has been appointed to the National Implementation Advisory Committee for the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy.

Australian Government funding of $6 million is aimed at improving standards of animal welfare, under a national strategy launched recently at RSPCA Australia’s Annual General Meeting.

The Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mr Peter McGauran, said the national strategy was the first co-ordinated approach to improving the welfare of all animals in Australia.

“The Australian Animal Welfare Strategy will deliver clear and consistent national standards for the care of animals in Australia,” he said.

Action plans will be developed for animals covered by the welfare strategy, in six categories:

• animals used to produce food and fibre

• those used for research and teaching purposes

• aquatic animals

• companion animals

• animals used for work, recreation, entertainment and display; and

• those in the wild

Mr McGauran said that it took five years to develop the strategy and he acknowledged the significant contributions the RSPCA and other key stakeholders have made.

The strategy was developed collaboratively by the Australian Government, with the assistance of the National Consultative Committee on Animal Welfare (NCCAW), and in consultation with industry, producers, animal welfare groups, including RSPCA and the public.

Professor Yeatman said that many people in the community were concerned about animal welfare, influencing their day-to-day decisions such as their food purchases - whether eggs had been produced by chickens in small cages or in open pens, and the use of hormones and antibiotics in the raising of farm animals.

“People’s health concerns were often linked with broader issues, including the health of animals,” she said.

She identified that it would be important to keep public concerns and need for information a major focus during the implementation of the strategy.

People can get information on the strategy at the following website: Animal Welfare