Rail transport of animals
National Consultative Committee on Animal Welfare (NCCAW) Position Statement
The Law
The state and territory Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (POCTA) Acts provide the legal basis for ensuring that proper standards apply to the transport of animals in Australia.
Numerous people are responsible for the welfare of railed stock so all POCTA Acts should have special provisions defining those responsibilities, and set acceptable standards for the rail transport of animals.
As railway systems in Australia are government-owned the POCTA Acts must bind the Crown, and also ensure that both the state and Australian national railways are subject to the provisions of the Acts, or preferably - in the case of Australian national railways - subject to Commonwealth legislation for the care and protection of animals.
The Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Rail Transport of Animals sets acceptable standards for the preparation, loading, transit and unloading of stock transported by rail.
To be effective the Code must be given legal recognition by the state and territory POCTA Acts.
Railway regulations should provide detailed instructions and guidelines to staff involved in transporting stock. They must be written to be
- consistent with the requirements of the POCTA Acts and the relevant Codes of Practice
- applied consistently, and
- properly enforced.
General
Numerous people are responsible for the various factors influencing the successful rail transport of animals - from the initial assembly of the animals, through the rail transit phase and arrival at their final destination.
These responsibilities are not always clearly defined, especially those of the consignor/agent and railway staff. The failure of good animal handling in rail transport can be identified as ignorance of these obligations.
Responsibilities of consignor/agent
Responsibilities include:
- selecting animals at the point of assembly as fit for road transport to the railhead
- sufficient spelling of animals in rail-loading yards with access to adequate supplies of water and food. For drought-affected stock this should be a minimum of 24 hours
- selecting animals in the rail-loading yard as fit for rail transport
- providing experienced stockworkers to load animals into stockwagons with care
- stocking density and classing of animals
- loading stock into railway stockwagons which are purpose built and have been well maintained
- selecting time to load stock to avoid climatic stress
- Providing experienced stockworkers at regular railway stopping points to inspect the stock and provide relief for sick or injured animals
- providing a train drover who will be responsible for the care of the stock during the rail journey where stockwagons are part of a frequently stopping general freight train
- supervising the unloading process and final loading onto road transport
- spelling stock after rail transport in preparation for final road journey.
Responsibilities of road transport driver
Responsibilities are:
- to accept only fit stock for transport from the assembly point to the railhead, and
- to transport stock to or from the railhead in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Practice on Road Transport of Animals.
Responsibility of the owner of railway stockyards
The owner is responsible for providing properly designed and well-maintained stockyards, loading and unloading facilities.
Responsibilities of the railways
The railways are responsible for:
- providing purpose-built and well maintained stockwagons
- care in the shunting of loaded stockwagons with appropriately powered locomotives
- giving stock trains priority during transit, with minimum stops to avoid climatic and other stress
- providing drivers with emergency contact systems in all stocktrains.
- To spell all stock after a transit time of 24 hours if the journey cannot be completed by 30 hours.
Model Codes of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Land Transport
- Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Land Transport of Cattle
- Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Land Transport of Horses
- Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Land Transport of Pigs
- Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Land Transport of Poultry | 2nd Edition
This Position Statement was first published in August 1992 and was reviewed by NCCAW on 20 February 2008. NCCAW made the decision to retain it without amendment.