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AAWS Goals, Objectives and Activities

Goals

The Goals of the Strategy are to achieve:

1 an enhanced national approach and commitment to ensure high standards of animal welfare based on a concise outline of current processes

2 sustainable improvements in animal welfare based on national and international benchmarks, scientific evaluation and research, taking into account changes in whole of community standards, and

3 effective communication, education and training across the whole community to promote an improved understanding of animal welfare.

Objectives and Activities

The following objectives and activities have been developed for each goal:

Goal 1:

Achieve an enhanced national approach and commitment to ensure high standards of animal welfare based on a concise outline of current processes.

Objectives Activities
To ensure that administrative, legislative and planning mechanisms support effective management of animal welfare in Australia. Establish a shared understanding of respective roles and responsibilities across all relevant Australian, state, territory and local government agencies and non-government organisations.
Facilitate the maintenance of effective animal welfare units in each jurisdiction, recognising inter-agency interests, to assist and co-ordinate the delivery of animal welfare advice, policy development and support services.
Facilitate the timely development, and revision of codes of practice, standards and guidelines and legislation for the welfare of animals where scientific, social and industry developments justify changes being made to existing practices.
To facilitate improved consistency of legislation across states and territories for improved and sustainable animal welfare outcomes. Promote the adoption of a harmonised approach to the development and application of clear, contemporary, adequate and consistent animal welfare legislation and codes of practice across all state, territory and local government jurisdictions, for appropriate and agreed outcomes.
To involve all stakeholders in ownership of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy. Encourage the use of effective consultative and communication mechanisms to engage all animal use industries, including the livestock industries, the aquaculture and fishing industries, companion animal carers and the companion animal industry, recreational animal industries, the veterinary profession, researchers, community groups, animal welfare organisations, governments and the community in developing animal welfare policies, standards and education.
To produce a concise outline of current processes as a basis for sustainable improvement. Undertake a review of the existing animal welfare infrastructure, policies and programs in place in Australia.
To ensure effective and timely implementation and monitoring of the Strategy. Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) will assume lead responsibility for the monitoring, review and reporting on progress under the Strategy and will coordinate the development of an AAWS Implementation Plan in consultation with key stakeholders. This Plan will:
  • Incorporate specific action plans and
    nominated lead agencies,
  • Identify any additional resources and funding required to deliver the Plan
  • Provide a basis for national coordination of the Strategy and will report on progress of the implementation.
Maintain a nationally representative committee of key stakeholders on NCCAW to advise the Australian Government on developments under the Strategy to be authorised by Primary Industries Ministerial Council.

Goal 2:

Achieve sustainable improvements in animal welfare based on national and international benchmarks, scientific evaluation and research, taking into account changes in whole of community standards.

Objectives Activities
To strengthen the current framework as a basis for enhancing the delivery of acceptable animal welfare outcomes. Facilitate the development, collection and collation of national statistics on animal welfare standards as a basis to benchmark Australia's animal welfare outcomes.
 
Promote acceptable animal welfare practices in the care and management of Australia’s wildlife.
Promote the development and use of humane and effective methods to control pest animals in Australia.
 
Expand Australia’s efforts to inform international bodies of our current standards for animal welfare through the development of readily available explanatory material outlining the animal welfare arrangements and achievements, in Australia.
To contribute to the benchmarking of international animal welfare outcomes by assisting in the development of international standards through the World Organisation for Animal Health (Office International des Épizooties – OIE).
To ensure formal processes for community involvement in the development and implementation of welfare standards. Seek effective input from AWACs [1], AEC[2]s and government bodies (including NHMRC [3], CSIRO [4]) with community inputs and other stakeholders across the spectrum of use of animals in Australia.
To maintain and improve the scientific basis for animal welfare standards. Identify possible research and development needs and to encourage greater investment in research areas by industry and government through existing funding mechanisms.
Explore options for funding and establish national animal welfare research priorities.
To ensure that new knowledge gained through research on animal welfare is broadly communicated and adopted into national animal welfare standards. Establish a process whereby welfare research is continually monitored and, where applicable, sustainable standards can be updated.

Goal 3:

Achieve effective communication, education and training across the whole community to promote an improved understanding of animal welfare.

Objectives Activities
Animal handling skills and understanding
To enhance the attitudes, skills and knowledge of animal carers and handlers and all other people whose actions have a potential effect/impact on animals such as wildlife or introduced animals by developing, where appropriate, national training competencies and standards. Promote consultation and the dissemination of information on animal care and encourage the adoption of best practice standards in all situations where there is potential for human to animal interaction.
Promote and facilitate the inclusion of animal welfare studies in the curricula of educational institutions.
Develop and promote national competency based training [5] and other educational programs for the improvement of skills of people using animals where existing training programs are shown to be deficient.
Where necessary, develop, promote and deliver appropriate education and training as part of quality assurance programs for animal care, production, use and management that satisfy relevant Australian standards.
Community awareness
To promote ownership and responsibility by the whole of the Australian community of the benefits of the Strategy. Publicise the existence and content of existing animal welfare legislation, model codes of practice, position statements, standards and guidelines utilising appropriate media.
Create national internet sources for national, state/territory and local animal welfare information and establish a process of national consultation with the general community on nationally important welfare issues.

[1] Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (in each state and territory)

[2] Animal Ethics Committee

[3] National Health and Medical Research Council

[4] Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

[5] Nationally accredited training is endorsed by the National Training Quality Council, Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training


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Last reviewed: 16 May 2007
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