❓ WA Parliament Question on Notice regarding the incorporation of Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry into state legislation, focusing on consultation with egg producers and economic impact assessments related to caged egg production.
AnsweredQoN 1136Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CAGED EGG PRODUCTION
1136. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Minister for Agriculture and
Food:
I refer to the Australian Animal
Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry.
(1) What
consultation has occurred with Western Australian egg producers on how the
standards will be incorporated into the state government's proposed
animal welfare legislation and regulations?
(2) Has an
economic impact assessment on the effect of the standards, as proposed, on Western
Australian egg producers been undertaken by the state government?
(3) If yes to
(2), will the minister please table a copy of that assessment; and, if no to
(2), when will an economic impact assessment be completed?
1136. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Minister for Agriculture and
Food:
I refer to the Australian Animal
Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry.
(1) What
consultation has occurred with Western Australian egg producers on how the
standards will be incorporated into the state government's proposed
animal welfare legislation and regulations?
(2) Has an
economic impact assessment on the effect of the standards, as proposed, on Western
Australian egg producers been undertaken by the state government?
(3) If yes to
(2), will the minister please table a copy of that assessment; and, if no to
(2), when will an economic impact assessment be completed?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Agriculture and Food,
I provide the following ''egg-cellent'' answer!
(1)–(3) National
standards are incorporated into state animal welfare legislation as
regulations. This was made possible by amendments in 2018 to the Animal Welfare
Act 2002, and a number of national standards are now enshrined as regulations.
Any regulations would be drafted in consultation with the industry. The
development of the proposed poultry standards followed an extensive process of
stakeholder consultation over a seven-year period. The Department of Primary
Industries and Regional Development has recently completed an assessment of the
egg industry in Western Australia to determine the scale of industry impacts
arising from the changes to the animal welfare arrangements proposed by the
standards.
I
am advised that of the 64 businesses producing eggs in Western Australia only
five have caged egg laying hens, which makes up 26 per cent of the egg
laying flock. Of those five businesses, two have indicated they already have a transition
strategy away from cages; one is predominantly enriched cages; and, at most,
only two have established new caged egg infrastructure since 2011.
The overwhelming majority of cages
currently in operation will be well in excess of the 20-year life span specified
under the existing state code of practice when the phase-out begins in 2032.
some notice of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Agriculture and Food,
I provide the following ''egg-cellent'' answer!
(1)–(3) National
standards are incorporated into state animal welfare legislation as
regulations. This was made possible by amendments in 2018 to the Animal Welfare
Act 2002, and a number of national standards are now enshrined as regulations.
Any regulations would be drafted in consultation with the industry. The
development of the proposed poultry standards followed an extensive process of
stakeholder consultation over a seven-year period. The Department of Primary
Industries and Regional Development has recently completed an assessment of the
egg industry in Western Australia to determine the scale of industry impacts
arising from the changes to the animal welfare arrangements proposed by the
standards.
I
am advised that of the 64 businesses producing eggs in Western Australia only
five have caged egg laying hens, which makes up 26 per cent of the egg
laying flock. Of those five businesses, two have indicated they already have a transition
strategy away from cages; one is predominantly enriched cages; and, at most,
only two have established new caged egg infrastructure since 2011.
The overwhelming majority of cages
currently in operation will be well in excess of the 20-year life span specified
under the existing state code of practice when the phase-out begins in 2032.
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