Update to alternative minimum pen space allocation policy

Attention

• Australian Livestock Exporters' Council
• Departmental officers
• LiveCorp
• Livestock exporters
• Meat and Livestock Australia

Purpose

To inform stakeholders of an update to the alternative minimum pen space allocation policy.

Key points

• This policy informs exporters of the criteria they must meet to access the alternative minimum pen space allocation under the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) and the Approved Arrangement Guidelines.
• An updated version of the policy is now published on the department's website.
• The updated version removes references to an exporter's performance level as a criterion for access and loss of access of alternative minimum pen space. This is because performance levels often reflect an exporter's performance pre-export, not during the voyage. Voyage related performance criteria remain.
• This is an interim amendment whilst a broader review to the policy is ongoing.
• The aim of this update is to provide administrative efficiency and greater certainty to industry in the meantime while other revisions to criteria are being considered and discussed between industry and the department.
• The updated version also includes changes to departmental branding and formatting.

Background

1. This policy applies to exporters seeking to access the alternative minimum pen space allocation for cattle exported by sea and sets out the criteria against which exporters must assess their own eligibility for access on a consignment-by-consignment basis.
2. The broader review of this policy is part of ongoing reform work the department is undertaking.

Jess Rummery
Director
Live Animal Export Branch
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
 
Jess Bowers
Contact officer
Phone: 02 6272 4581
Email: livestockexp@aff.gov.au