AAWS Strategy 2024 Consultation

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has commenced public consultation on the renewing of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS).

The Australian Government committed $5 million over 4 years to the development of the renewed AAWS, with the objective of providing a framework for a national approach to animal welfare in Australia. The development of the renewed AAWS will be jointly led by the Australian, and state and territory governments, informed by your engagement and feedback during consultation. 

The AAWS will include nearly all animals. It will be released in chapters, each dedicated to one of 6 animal groups, with the final strategy expected in 2027. More information is available here. 

Get Involved

The AVA will make a submission into this process.  Please send your feedback to Melanie Latter following the question structure set out in the Discussion Paper. Responses are due to Melanie by 23 April (4 weeks).

Alternatively, if you prefer to respond directly to the Department as an individual, please use this link to submit your comments through the department’s “Have Your Say” platform.

Format for providing feedback to AVA:

To answer these Q’s you will first need to read the AAWS Discussion Paper.

Vision Statement

Question 1: Does the AAWS vision statement reflect everything you feel an Australian Animal Welfare Strategy should aim to achieve?

Question 1a: Is there anything else it should include?

Proposed Work Streams:

Question 2: Do the proposed Work Streams cover the right priority areas for the strategy?

Question 2a: Are there other priority areas that you think are important and should be added to the strategy?

Question 2b: Are there any you feel are not a priority area?

Question 3: Are there any shared factors affecting animal welfare that cut across all, or multiple, animal groups? For example: Climate change, innovation, workforce retention.

Question 3a: How can the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy address these in a practical way?

Challenges facing Australia’s animal welfare system

Question 4: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Australia’s animal welfare system? (see discussion paper list)

Question 5: Are there additional challenges in the animal welfare system that have not been listed above, which the renewed strategy should consider?

Opportunities for Australia’s animal welfare system

Question 6: What do you think are the biggest opportunities for Australia’s animal welfare system? (see discussion paper list)

Question 7: Are there additional opportunities for improvements in the animal welfare system that have not been listed above, which the renewed strategy should consider?

Question 8: Is there anything else you would like to be considered in the development of the strategy, within the scope described in this discussion paper