Animal Care and Protection Amendment Bill 2022
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill modernises Queensland's 20-year-old animal welfare laws following a comprehensive review, a racehorse welfare inquiry, and an audit of RSPCA oversight. It introduces tougher penalties for animal neglect, bans harmful devices and practices, requires CCTV at livestock slaughter facilities, strengthens inspector accountability, and creates a new accreditation scheme for cattle procedures.
Who it affects
Pet owners face new rules on transporting dogs and a ban on prong collars. Cattle producers gain access to accredited non-veterinarians for spaying and pregnancy testing. Slaughter facility owners must install CCTV and report horse arrivals. The racing industry faces new obligations to track and verify the rehoming of retired racehorses.
Key changes
- New aggravated breach of duty of care offence with penalties of up to 2,000 penalty units or 3 years imprisonment for neglect causing death or serious harm to an animal
- Dogs must be secured when transported on vehicle trays or trailers (maximum penalty 60 penalty units), with an exemption for working dogs moving livestock
- Prong collars, harmful netting, firing or blistering of horses and dogs, and CSSP Pig Poison are banned
- Mandatory CCTV at livestock slaughter facilities covering all stages from animal arrival to slaughter, with recordings kept for at least 30 days
- Slaughter facilities must notify the department at least 2 business days before horses arrive, and keep records of all horses for at least 2 years
- Queensland Racing Integrity Commission's role expanded to protect the welfare of retired racehorses
- New accreditation scheme allows trained non-veterinarians to spay cattle and perform pregnancy testing, benefiting remote and regional producers
- Chief executive gains power to suspend or cancel RSPCA inspector appointments and require disclosure of investigation documents
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
▸Introduced12 May 2022View Hansard
Vote on a motion
The motion was agreed to.
A formal vote on whether to accept a proposal — this could be the bill itself, an amendment, or another motion.
▸Show individual votesHide individual votes
Ayes (47)
Noes (30)
▸Committee12 May 2022 – 1 Dec 2022View Hansard
Referred to State Development and Regional Industries Committee
▸Second Reading30 Nov 2022 – 2 Dec 2022View Hansard
▸39 members spoke27 support12 mixed
As Minister for Agricultural Industry Development, delivered a comprehensive reply defending the bill's provisions on prong collars, CSSP poison ban, aggravated duty of care offence and lay pregnancy testing, rebutting opposition criticisms about lack of consultation.
“It is the same old LNP—too angry to see the truth, too lazy to do the work, and too out of touch to support an industry that is the lifeblood of rural and regional Queensland.”— 2022-12-02View Hansard
Continued his contribution in support of the bill, outlining the modernisation of animal welfare laws and the implementation of the Martin inquiry and Queensland Audit Office recommendations.
As Minister for Agricultural Industry Development, moved the second reading and provided a comprehensive overview of the bill's animal welfare reforms including prong collar ban, CSSP poison ban, aggravated duty of care offence, lay pregnancy testing accreditation, and RSPCA oversight improvements.
“This legislation should reflect that passion and that level of care, not out of some ideological position but as a reflection of who we are as a community.”— 2022-11-30View Hansard
Broadly supportive of the bill but opposed the CSSP pig poison ban (clause 16), citing concerns about the lack of equivalent alternatives for primary producers and inadequate consultation with AgForce.
“The LNP will be opposing clause 16 with regard to section 42 that sets out the ban on the use of yellow phosphorous CSSP feral pig poison.”— 2022-12-01View Hansard
Broadly supportive of most intentions but strongly opposed the CSSP pig poison ban, raised concerns about lack of consultation on prong collars, and questioned impacts on veterinary practices from lay pregnancy testing. Criticised the government for springing changes on stakeholders.
“It defies logic that when we face one of the largest biosecurity challenges in modern history the government wants to ban one of the most common and successful ways to manage feral and pest animals.”— 2022-11-30View Hansard
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
As committee chair, supported the bill and defended the prong collar ban citing peer-reviewed evidence of harm, the CSSP ban noting it is already banned in all states except Queensland and the Northern Territory, and the implementation of Queensland Audit Office recommendations on RSPCA oversight.
“Quite simply, it is not needed.”— 2022-11-30View Hansard
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Supported the bill overall but filed a statement of reservation opposing the prong collar ban and CSSP ban. Argued prong collars provide clear communication between handler and dog and should be available to trained users, and that CSSP should remain available for feral pig control given biosecurity threats.
“I would much rather have a dog under control in a public setting and no-one getting hurt than that dog being out of control and somebody accidentally being bitten.”— 2022-11-30View Hansard
Expressed concerns about the bill's scientific use provisions being more focused on facilitating animal use in research than protecting welfare, while acknowledging most changes were minor.
“Overall, the bill’s scientific use changes are more concerned with facilitating the use of animals in research than they are with offering protections for their ethical treatment.”— 2022-12-01View Hansard
Spoke in support of the bill, outlining its objectives to modernise animal welfare laws and implement recommendations from the Martin inquiry into retired racehorses and the Queensland Audit Office report on RSPCA oversight.
“For many Queenslanders, animals are members of our families; are integral to agricultural production; are involved in sport and recreational activities; and provide valuable assistance to individuals and services in quarantine, detection and inspection.”— 2022-11-30View Hansard
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Supported most provisions including tougher animal cruelty penalties and lay pregnancy testing, but opposed the prong collar ban and the CSSP pig poison ban, foreshadowing KAP amendments for a 12-month moratorium on the poison ban.
“The KAP will be moving amendments to that part of the proposed legislation. We want to see at least a 12-month moratorium on the banning of yellow phosphorus.”— 2022-12-01View Hansard
Did not oppose the bill overall but raised concerns about the CSSP pig poison ban, criticising the lack of consultation with AgForce and arguing feral pigs are a massive problem requiring the most cost-effective measures.
“If you love national parks and you love our native wildlife, you should be able to come to a position where you support the use of the most cost-effective and efficient measures to reduce, if not eliminate, this scourge of feral pigs in our state.”— 2022-12-01View Hansard
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke on the bill with concerns about specific provisions.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke on the bill with concerns about specific provisions.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke on the bill with concerns about specific provisions.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke on the bill with concerns about specific provisions.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Expressed deep concern about the CSSP pig poison ban, arguing Queensland's unique scale of feral pig populations and proximity to exotic disease threats like foot-and-mouth disease require all available control tools.
“At such a time it is devastating that the government is choosing to remove their most effective tool without anything comparable to replace it.”— 2022-12-01View Hansard
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke on the bill with concerns about specific provisions.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
Spoke in support of the bill from the government side.
▸In Detail2 Dec 2022View Hansard
Amendment to delay the commencement of the CSSP pig poison ban (clause 16) until 1 January 2025, citing biosecurity risks from feral pig populations potentially spreading foot-and-mouth disease.
That the amendment be agreed to
Vote on an amendment to a motion, likely procedural. The amendment was agreed to with 48 ayes and 33 noes.
The motion passed.
▸Show individual votesHide individual votes
Ayes (48)
Noes (33)
That the motion, as amended, be agreed to
Vote on the amended motion following the previous division. Passed with 48 ayes and 33 noes.
The motion passed.
▸Show individual votesHide individual votes
Ayes (48)
Noes (33)
Moved an amendment to delay the CSSP pig poison ban by two years until 1 January 2025 due to biosecurity risks from feral pigs potentially spreading foot-and-mouth disease, but the amendment was not voted on as time expired under the business program.
“This is due to the presently unacceptable biosecurity risks posed by Queensland’s large feral pig populations, which could serve as a vector of foot-and-mouth disease and the important role CSSP pig poison has historically and currently in playing in effectively managing the feral pig population.”— 2022-12-02View Hansard
▸Third Reading2 Dec 2022View Hansard
That the long title of the bill be agreed to
Party VoteFinal procedural vote on the long title of the Animal Care and Protection Amendment Bill 2022, resolved in the affirmative under standing order 106(10) after the business program time limit expired.
The motion passed.
What is a party vote?
This was a party vote. Each party's Whip declared how their members voted without a physical count, so individual votes were not recorded. Party votes are used when all members of a party are expected to vote the same way.