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Introduction
The Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries, Water and Environment sought agreement of the Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand (ARMCANZ) in August 1999 to a national uniform approach to move away from the cage system of egg production in Australia.
After considerable discussion, ARMCANZ:
- Noted the policy position presented by Tasmania and the Directive in the European Union aimed at significantly enhancing the welfare of laying hens.
- Agreed in principle with the desirability of a nationally consistent system of truth in labelling of production methods in the egg industry. SCARM to prepare specific recommendations for a decision at the next meeting. The SCARM paper should include clarification of the European Union Directive and developments elsewhere in the world; and
- Agreed that a review of layer hen housing be conducted by SCARM to inform ARMCANZ and to recommend any changes that may be necessary to current codes. This review is to take account of the views of RSPCA and industry.
A Working Group chaired by Dr Gardner Murray, (now former) Commonwealth Chief Veterinary Officer, comprising State and ACT representatives was formed to implement these ARMCANZ resolutions. The State and ACT representatives were Mr Peter Bailey (Victoria), Dr Kim Critchley (South Australia), Dr Kevin Dunn (Queensland), Dr Geoff Griffiths (Western Australia), Dr Richard Sheldrake (New South Wales), Ms Lee-Anne Wahren (ACT) and Mr Peter Williams (Tasmania). The Northern Territory, in view of its limited egg production, decided not to nominate a representative to join the Working Group.
The Working Group formed three sub-committees to report on:
- A nationally consistent system of labelling (Mr Peter Williams, Convenor).
- The European Union Directive and other international developments on layer hen housing (Dr Gardner Murray, Convenor).
- Layer hen housing systems (Dr Richard Sheldrake, Convenor).
The Working Group wrote to seventeen key stakeholders in Australia including the Australian Egg Industry Association, RSPCA Australia, Animals Australia, the Australian Supermarket Institute, the Australian Veterinary Association, the Australian Consumers Association and the Egg Marketing Boards in Tasmania and Western Australia, and formally invited them to lodge submissions. Thirteen submissions were received (Appendix 1).
The sub-committee convenors also met with representatives of RSPCA Australia and Animals Australia and with the board of the Australian Egg Industry Association.
Advice was also sought and obtained from the Australian Veterinary Counsellors in Brussels, Washington and Seoul on relevant developments in the EU member states, Switzerland, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Advice on the situation in New Zealand was sought directly from the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Relevant scientific, technical, economic and other expertise was also drawn upon. The following four official reports were significant. The first two are Australian while the other two come from the European Union and United Kingdom respectively.
- A Review of the Welfare Aspects of Layer Hen Housing in Australia, Occasional Paper AHC No 1 of December 1994, - the report of the National Layer Hen Housing Review of 1994. A situation report on this review is provided for the present review.
- The research report of the Productivity Commission, Battery Eggs Sale and Production in the ACT, which was published in1998. This report was occasioned by the need to undertake public benefit tests on ACT legislation banning the production and sale of eggs from caged layer hens and requiring the specific labelling of eggs. Public benefit tests are stipulated under Australia’s Competition Principles Agreement when any legislation might restrict competition.
- The Report on the Welfare of Laying Hens from the Scientific Veterinary Committee, Animal Welfare Section, of the European Commission which was published in October, 1996 - the 1996 EU Report.
- The Report on the Welfare of Laying Hens published in July 1997 by the Farm Animal Welfare Council of the United Kingdom (the UK review).
The Working Group had a teleconference on 8 September 1999, a meeting in Sydney on 15 November 1999 and another teleconference on 19 January 2000. Each sub-committee also had teleconferences and/or meetings. Representatives of the Working Group met with industry and animal welfare groups in November to discuss their views and possible outcomes of the Review.
The review process undertaken by the working group should be seen in the context of moving hen welfare forward from the report on the 1994 Layer Hen Housing Review, which led to the legislative requirement in most States for a minimum floor space allocation of 450cm2 (including the space under the baffle) per caged hen in cages of 3 or more hens, and other improvements in hen welfare (a system of Animal Care Statements and Audited Self Regulation).
Each of the three Working Group sub-committees produced a detailed report. The Working Group also commissioned a consultancy report from ABARE on "The economic impacts of banning egg production under battery cage system in Australia". Because of their length and complexity – a reflection of the nature of the issues involved – it was decided to prepare and submit to ARMCANZ a single synopsis report of the three full Working Group reports and of the consultancy report from ABARE.
To ensure that the different views on this complex issue were fully expressed, ARMCANZ requested that a revised paper be prepared, to the satisfaction of all SCARM members. ARMCANZ requested that the revised paper then be released for public consultation and it is believed that this revised document will facilitate constructive discussion on these issues. The consultation process is to include an examination of proposed recommendations of the Working Group relating to increased floor space and long term use of cages and future standards for layer hen housing systems.
This document is the revised synopsis paper that has been approved by all SCARM members.