The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association and TruckSafe are working together to review, design and relaunch a new Animal Welfare Accreditation program for the road transport of animals.
It will be developed in partnership with National Transport Insurance and will aim to support consigners, transporters and consignees meet their driver and animal welfare obligations.
ALRTA executive director Rachel Smith says the agreement has been reached after several months of consultation, reaching agreement that ALRTA is best placed to manage and maintain on-road animal welfare accreditation
“This is necessary given the importance our members place on the safe and humane transportation of animals,” she says.
“It is an exciting time for ALRTA and its members, having developed the original TruckCare accreditation scheme that eventually formed part of TruckSafe.
“I’d like to thank the TruckSafe Board for their support in this transition and look forward to further collaboration as the new program is developed.”
The ALRTA and NTI say they will work with supply chain participants, animal welfare groups, regulators, and operators over coming months to ensure best practice is embedded in the accreditation process.
“TruckSafe has always been owned by industry for industry and the TruckSafe Board are delighted to see our Animal Welfare Module return home to ALRTA and the livestock industry,” says TruckSafe board chair Paul Fellows.
The ALRTA says those operators with expiring or expired accreditations will be extended to 30 June 2025 while the review is underway.