Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Order 2003

Administered by Department of Agriculture

Legislation au F2003B00146 Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Order 2003

as amended

made under section 17 of the

Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997

This compilation was prepared on 30 October 2003
taking into account amendments up to Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Amendment Order 2003 (No. 1)

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting,
Attorney-General’s Department, Canberra

Contents

 1 Name of Order [see Note 1] 

 2 Commencement 

 3 Object 

 4 Definitions 

 5 Export of live sheep and goats under certain conditions 

 6 Conditions 

 7 Reconsideration and review of certain decisions 

Notes  

 

 

 

 

1 Name of Order [see Note 1]

  This Order is the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Order 2003.

2 Commencement

  This Order commences on gazettal.

3 Object

  The object of this Order is to enable a commercial live sheep and goat export trade to the Middle East on a regulated basis.

4 Definitions

  In this Order:

Act means the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997.

AQIS means the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.

consignment management plan means a plan, prepared using a form approved by AQIS, setting out the preparation and voyage details for a proposed export of live sheep or goats.

hospital pen means a pen of that name as required by Marine Orders, Part 43, made under the Navigation Act 1912.

licensee means the holder of a live-stock export licence to export live sheep and goats granted under section 10 of the Act.

linear interpolation means the insertion of a new item in a series, the series extending in a straight line between, and maintaining a directly proportional relationship with, the two items either side of the new item.

5 Export of live sheep and goats under certain conditions

 (1) This Order applies to the export of live sheep and goats.

 (2) The licensee must not, without the written consent of the Secretary, export live sheep or goats to a port in any of the following places:

 (a) Algeria;

 (b) Bahrain;

 (c) Egypt;

 (d) Israel;

 (e) Jordan;

 (f) Kuwait;

 (g) Lebanon;

 (h) Libya;

 (i) Oman;

 (j) Palestine;

 (k) Qatar;

 (l) Saudi Arabia;

 (m) United Arab Emirates;

 (n) Yemen.

 (2A) While the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live-stock to Saudi Arabia) Order 2003 is in force, subsection (2) has effect as if paragraph (l) were omitted.

 (3) At the same time as the licensee lodges a notice of intention to export a consignment of live sheep or goats under Order 6 of the Export Control (Animals) Orders as amended, the licensee must submit to AQIS a consignment management plan for the export of live sheep or goats.

Note 1   Order 6 of the Export Control (Animals) Orders as amended requires a notice of intention to export to be lodged:

(a) if isolation is not required — not less than 7 clear working days prior to the intended date of export; and

(b) if isolation is required — not less than 7 clear working days prior to the commencement of the isolation period.

Note 2   The approved form of the consignment management plan is available from Live Animals Export Program, AQIS, GPO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601.

 (4) When deciding whether to consent to an export of live sheep or goats under subsection (2), the Secretary must consider:

 (a) the adequacy of the consignment management plan; and

 (b) whether the pre-export assembly premises operates under an auditable quality assurance program; and

 (c) the welfare of the animals.

 (5) For each consignment of live sheep or goats exported during May, June, July, August, September or October, the floor area per head (excluding hospital pens) in an area of the ship where animals are housed must be at least the floor area required by the following table (for weights between those shown in the table, the minimum pen area per head is to be calculated by linear interpolation):

 

Average weight per head of sheep or goats (kg)

Minimum floor area per head (m2)

28

0.261

29

0.263

30

0.265

31

0.268

32

0.270

33

0.273

34

0.275

35

0.278

36

0.280

37

0.283

38

0.285

39

0.288

40

0.290

41

0.293

42

0.295

43

0.298

44

0.300

45

0.303

46

0.305

47

0.308

48

0.310

49

0.313

50

0.315

51

0.322

52

0.329

53

0.337

54

0.344

55

0.351

56

0.357

57

0.363

58

0.369

59

0.375

60

0.381

61

0.389

62

0.398

63

0.406

64

0.415

65

0.423

66

0.432

67

0.441

68

0.450

69

0.459

70

0.468

75

0.515

80

0.563

90

0.658

 (6) For each consignment of live sheep or goats exported during November, December, January, February, March and April, the floor area per head (excluding hospital pens) in an area of the ship where animals are housed must be at least the floor area required by the following table (for weights between those shown in the table, the minimum pen area per head is to be calculated by linear interpolation):

Average weight per head of sheep or goats (kg)

Minimum floor area per head (m2)

28

0.261

29

0.263

30

0.265

31

0.268

32

0.270

33

0.273

34

0.275

35

0.278

36

0.280

37

0.283

38

0.285

39

0.288

40

0.290

41

0.293

42

0.295

43

0.298

44

0.300

45

0.303

46

0.305

47

0.308

48

0.310

49

0.313

50

0.315

51

0.320

52

0.324

53

0.329

54

0.333

55

0.338

56

0.342

57

0.347

58

0.351

59

0.356

60

0.360

61

0.367

62

0.374

63

0.380

64

0.387

65

0.394

66

0.401

67

0.408

68

0.415

69

0.422

70

0.429

75

0.465

80

0.502

90

0.575

6 Conditions

  The Secretary may impose conditions on a consent to export under subsection 5 (2), including the condition:

 (a) that, if an event or circumstance specified in the written consent happens, the licensee will, within the specified time after the event or circumstance happens, give the Secretary written particulars of the event or circumstance; and

 (b) that the licensee make declarations to the Secretary, including declarations with respect to live sheep and goats that have been exported, or are proposed to be exported from Australia; and

 (c) that the licensee give information, send returns or produce documents to the Secretary, including information, returns or documents with respect to sales, or orders for the supply, of live sheep and goats.

7 Reconsideration and review of certain decisions

 (1) If the Secretary refuses to consent to the export of live sheep or goats under subsection 5 (2), the licensee who sought the consent may ask the Secretary to reconsider the decision.

 (2) The licensee may also ask the Secretary to reconsider a decision to impose a condition or conditions under section 6.

 (3) A request for reconsideration must:

 (a) be in writing; and

 (b) set out the reasons why the Secretary should reconsider the decision; and

 (c) be given to the Secretary within 14 days after the licensee is told in writing of the decision.

 (4) After reconsidering a decision, the Secretary must:

 (a) confirm the original decision; or

 (b) substitute another decision for it.

 (5) If the Secretary does not tell the licensee in writing of the result of the reconsideration within 21 days after receiving the request, the Secretary is taken to have confirmed the original decision.

 (6) If the Secretary decides to substitute another decision for the original decision, the later decision replaces the original decision for all purposes.

 (7) The licensee may apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for review of the Secretary’s decision on reconsideration.

Notes to the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Order 2003

Note 1

The Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Order 2003 (in force under the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997) as shown in this compilation is amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Orders

Title

Date of notification
in Gazette

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Order 2003

1 May 2003 (see Gazette 2003,
No. S130)

1 May 2003

 

Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Amendment Order 2003 (No. 1)

29 Oct 2003 (see Gazette 2003,
No. S395)

29 Oct 2003

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

S. 5.................

am. 2003 No. 1

 

Overview

The Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Order 2003 was enacted to facilitate a regulated commercial live sheep and goat export trade to the Middle East. This legislative instrument, established under section 17 of the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997, was brought into effect by the Parliament of Australia to address a specific need within the livestock industry. The primary objective of the Order is to provide a framework for the export of live sheep and goats to specified Middle Eastern countries while ensuring the welfare of the animals and maintaining the integrity of the trade. The Order imposes certain conditions on the export process, including the submission of consignment management plans and adherence to minimum floor area requirements per animal based on their weight, to ensure humane treatment during transport.

Scope and Application

The Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Order 2003 applies to the export of live sheep and goats, specifically regulating the export activities of licensees who hold a live-stock export licence under the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997. This legislation sets out the conditions under which these licensees can export live sheep and goats to specific Middle Eastern countries, with a requirement for written consent from the Secretary for exports to certain countries such as Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, and others, except when other specific Orders are in force. The Order mandates that licensees must submit a consignment management plan to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) when lodging a notice of intention to export. The Secretary's consent to export is contingent on the adequacy of the consignment management plan, the operation of the pre-export assembly premises under an auditable quality assurance program, and the welfare of the animals. Additionally, the Order prescribes minimum floor area requirements for housing live sheep and goats on ships during different months of the year, with varying standards based on the average weight of the animals. The Secretary has the authority to impose conditions on export consents and to require various declarations and information from licensees concerning their export activities. The Order also provides for reconsideration of decisions by the Secretary and review by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Key Provisions

The Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Export of Live Sheep and Goats to the Middle East) Order 2003 establishes a regulated framework for the commercial export of live sheep and goats to the Middle East, in accordance with section 5(1). This legislation applies specifically to the export of live sheep and goats, as detailed in section 5(2). To export live sheep or goats, a licensee must not proceed without the written consent of the Secretary, except when exporting to certain Middle Eastern countries listed in section 5(2). The licensee must submit a consignment management plan to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) at the same time as lodging a notice of intention to export, as stipulated in section 5(3). The Secretary considers the sufficiency of the consignment management plan, the operation of the pre-export assembly premises under an auditable quality assurance program, and the welfare of the animals when deciding whether to grant consent for an export under section 5(4). Additionally, there are specific floor area requirements per head for sheep and goats during different months of the year, as outlined in section 5(5) and (6). The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. The licensee must ensure compliance with the export conditions set out in section 5, including the submission of a consignment management plan and adherence to the floor area requirements per head of sheep or goats. The Secretary must consider specific factors when deciding whether to consent to an export, such as the adequacy of the consignment management plan and the welfare of the animals. Moreover, the Secretary may impose conditions on a consent to export, as detailed in section 6. These conditions may include the requirement for the licensee to provide written particulars of specified events or circumstances, make declarations to the Secretary, and give information, send returns, or produce documents to the Secretary. There are no explicit offences, penalties, or consequences for breach stated in the text. However, the failure to comply with the requirements and conditions set out in the Order could potentially lead to legal action, such as an application to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for review of the Secretary's decision on reconsideration, as mentioned in section 7. The consequences of such non-compliance could include the refusal of consent to export live sheep or goats or the imposition of additional conditions on the export consent. It is essential for the licensee to adhere to the provisions of the Order to avoid any potential legal or financial repercussions.

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Environmental Law
Animal Law
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Legislative Instrument
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Definitions & Interpretation
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