The creation process of the inspector-general of animal welfare and live exports was in the spotlight during senate estimates.
Under sustained questioning from Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi last week, agriculture minister Murray Watt said the role will be combined with the inspector-general of live animal exports.
“If you like, it’s an expansion of an existing role. The responsibilities have yet to be properly defined because we’re going through the consultation process,” Watt said.
“But, obviously, we would want to have it up and running as quickly as possible.
“I can tell you that the October Budget did provide funding for the new inspector-general role because, of course, they’ll require staff as well.”
The minister added the role was combined to “reduce the potential duplication of functions”.
DAFF acting deputy secretary Matthew Koval said feedback for the role, which opened earlier this month, was due by 2 March.
“We’re asking stakeholders about the actual skills for the role of inspector-general of animal welfare for livestock exports, to make sure that we have a full, comprehensive range of skill sets to make sure we can look at new and emerging live export markets, the number of head exported and mortality,” Koval said.
“So we actually have this proper skill set to complement the inspector-general of live animal exports, so we have a fully functioning office with a broad skill set.”
Koval added while a general description of the role had been worked out, consultation was focused on what the role’s specific skill set should be.
Two consultation processes are involved in the government’s approach to animal welfare.
One process focuses on the skill sets of the inspector-general of animal welfare and live animal exports, and the other on the government’s animal welfare strategy.
On the animal welfare strategy consultations, DAFF’s deputy secretary Rosemary Deninger said consultation had already taken place with the states and territories and consultation with industry was expected to take place after the May budget.
“We have had some bilateral discussions with the states and territories in the time since our last estimates,” Deninger said.
“It has been a shortened time, obviously, with the Christmas break and so on. There’s an animal welfare task group that is a subgroup of officials that sits beneath the secretaries’ committee of all the states and territories, and we’ve been engaging with them.
“They are the experts in animal welfare matters from each of the jurisdictions and who we work with on the standards and guidelines.”
Faruqi asked whether animal welfare groups would be consulted and Deninger replied public consultation had not been decided yet.
Watt added he expected funding for the new strategy to be in the upcoming Budget, with the caveat it would still need to go through the budget process.
READ MORE:
Indigenous Ranger Sector Strategy still in the works, senate estimates told
Any feedback or news tips? Here’s where to contact the relevant team.