Developing a new accreditation for animal welfare

The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association and TruckSafe are developing a new Animal Welfare Accreditation program for the safe road transport of livestock.

It will be developed in collaboration with the National Transport Insurance and aims to help senders, transporters and recipients meet their driver and animal welfare obligations.

ALRTA director Rachel Smith says the agreement has been reached after several months of consultation, with an agreement that ALRTA is best placed to manage and maintain road animal welfare accreditation

“This is necessary given the importance our members attach to the safe and humane transport of animals,” she says.

“It’s an exciting time for ALRTA and its members, having developed the original TruckCare accreditation scheme that eventually became part of TruckSafe.

“I would like to thank the TruckSafe Board for their support in this transition and look forward to further collaboration as we develop the new program.”

The ALRTA and NTI say they will work with supply chain participants, animal welfare groups, regulators and operators in the coming months to ensure best practices are embedded in the accreditation process.

“TruckSafe has always been owned by the industry for the industry and the TruckSafe board is excited to see our Animal Welfare Module return to ALRTA and the livestock industry,” said TruckSafe Board Chairman Paul Fellows.

The ALRTA says operators with expiring or expired accreditations will be extended until June 30, 2025 while the review is ongoing.