Proposed Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines – Exhibited Animals Consultation Regulation Impact Statement March 2014

Summary iii

Table of Contents viii

1.0Background 1

1.1. Introduction 1

1.2. Setting the scene 3

1.2.1 Overview of the Australian exhibited animals industry 3

1.2.2 Animal welfare 5

1.2.3 Relevant legislation, standards and guidelines 6

1.3 Consultation processes 11

2.0 Case for action and policy objective 12

2.1 Basis for action 12

2.2 Community values and expectations 14

2.2 Risks to animal welfare, the environment and agriculture 17

2.2 Policy objective 22

3.0 Alternatives to proposed national standards 22

4.0 Evaluation of Costs and Benefits 24

4.1 Introduction 24

4.2 The base case 25

4.3 Evaluation of options 26

4.3.1 Benefit drivers of the proposed national standards – Criteria I and II 26

4.3.2 Cost drivers of the proposed national standards – Criterion III 36

4.3.3 Option A: (non-regulatory option – voluntary national guidelines) 45

4.3.4 Option B: (the proposed national standards) 46

4.3.5 Options C1 and C2: (variations of the proposed national general and taxon standards) 48

4.4 Preferred option 50

4.5 Breakeven analysis of the preferred option 51

5.0 Nature and impacts of preferred option 52

5.1 Implementation 52

5.2. Impact on competition 52

6.0 Evaluation and review strategy 53

7.0 Conclusions and findings 54

Glossary of terms and acronyms 57

References 59

Appendices 61

Appendix 1 - Details of relevant federal, state and territory legislation 62

A1.1 States and territories 62

A1.2 Federal and national government 62

Appendix 2 – Estimation of animal exhibit facilities, keepers and animals 69

A2.1 Estimated number of licensed facilities and keepers 69

A2.2 Estimated number of exhibited animals by species, taxon and jurisdiction 71

A2.3 Estimated number of enclosures per facility size by species group or taxon standard animal 73

A2.4 Estimated number of facilities operating across taxon standard animals 81

A2.5 Estimated number of keepers operating across taxon standard animals 82

A2.6 Estimated number of facilities operating across a particular species group 83

A2.7 Estimated number of keepers operating across species groups 85

A2.8 Estimated cost of proficient keepers 87

A2.9 Estimated time cost of keepers and operators for record keeping 88

Appendix 3 – Estimation of quantifiable incremental costs of the proposed general standards and discussion of unquantifiable costs 90

A3.1 – Incremental cost of training proficient keepers/trainers – S1.4 90

A3.2 – Requirement for proficient keepers under Clauses – S1.5, S1.7, S2.6, S8.4, S8.5, S9.2, S10.2, S10.3 and S11.9 93

A3.3 – Incremental cost of recording assessment of keeper proficiency – S1.6 93

A3.4 – Incremental cost of developing and implementing plans, procedures or program under Clauses –S1.8, S2.7, S2.8, 2.12, S3.18, S3.19, S5.1, S5.9, S6.1, S7.1, S8.1, S9.1, S10.5, S11.6 95

A3.5 – Incremental cost of secure perimeter fence – S2.1 97

A3.6 – Incremental cost of training for emergency procedures – S2.13 98

A3.7 – Incremental cost of backup power for electric barrier – S3.5 99

A3.8 – Unquantifiable incremental cost of ensuring enclosures allow for expression of appropriate natural behaviours – S3.6 101

A3.9 – Incremental cost of providing public information – S3.8 101

A3.10 – Substrate and drainage requirements – S3.20 103

A3.11 – Incremental cost of providing furniture for enrichment – S3.22 103

A3.12 – Incremental quantifiable and unquantifiable costs of holding enclosure requirements – S3.28, S3.29, S3.30, S3.31, S3.32 105

A3.13 – Incremental cost of risk assessments for interactive programs – S10.4 108

A3.14 – Incremental cost of keeping records – S10.11, S12.3, S12.5, S12.6, S12.7, S12.9 and S12.10 109

A3.15 – Summary of quantifiable incremental costs under the general standards Option B 111

A3.16 – Summary of distribution of incremental costs under the general standards for Option B 114

Appendix 4 – Estimation of quantifiable incremental costs of the proposed taxon standards and discussion of unquantifiable costs 119

A4.1 – Incremental cost of providing for fox proof enclosures – S3.2 (Macropods) 119

A4.2 – Incremental cost of providing for alternative to fox proof enclosures – Option C1 (Macropods) 121

A4.3 – Incremental cost of providing for an exclusion area – S3.3 (Macropods) 123

A4.4 – Incremental cost of providing visitor information on appropriate behaviour – S3.4 (Macropods) 124

A4.5 – Incremental cost of changes to fencing – S3.6 (Macropods) 126

A4.6 – Incremental cost of providing enrichment to rock wallaby enclosures – S3.7 (Macropods) 128

A4.7 – Incremental cost of providing minimum spatial requirements – S3.8 (Macropods) 129

A4.8 – Incremental cost of providing for elevated positions – S5.1 (Macropods) 130

A4.9 – Incremental cost of providing for animal collection management plans and procedures – S6.1, S8.1 (Macropods) 132

A4.10 – Unquantifiable cost of providing additional containers for transport – S11.1 (Macropods) 134

A4.11 – Incremental cost of developing, maintaining and implementing procedures – S1.2, S5.4 and S6.2 (Crocodiles) 135

A4.12 – Barrier requirements S3.1 and S6.4 (Crocodiles) 136

A4.13 – Incremental costs of enclosure furniture and spatial requirements S3.3, S3.4, S3.5 and S3.6 (Crocodiles) 137

A4.14 – Incremental cost of holding enclosure requirements – S3.7 and S3.8 (Crocodiles) 139

A4.15 – Providing for an exclusion area – S3.2 (Ratites) 140

A4.16 – Incremental cost of providing for appropriate enclosure height – S3.3 (Ratites) 142

A4.17 – Incremental cost of providing additional furniture and spatial requirements to ratite enclosures – S3.4, S3.5 and S3.6 (Ratites) 143

A4.18 – Incremental cost of procedures – S6.1 (Ratites) 145

A4.19 – Incremental cost of enclosure furniture - S3.3 (Koalas) 146

A4.20 – Incremental cost of enclosure height requirements – S3.8 and S3.9 (Koalas) 147

A4.21 – Incremental cost of spatial and shade requirements – S3.6, S3.7 and S5.2 (Koalas) 149

A4.22 – Incremental cost of weighing and recording requirements – S5.1, S10.7, S10.9, S12.1 and S12.2 (Koalas) 152

A4.23 – Unquantifiable minor cost of quarantine requirements – S5.3 (Koalas) 153

A4.24 – Incremental cost of procedure requirements – S10.1 (Koalas) 154

A4.25 – Unquantifiable minor cost of transport requirements – S11.1 and S11.2 (Koalas) 155

A4.26 – Incremental cost of substrate drainage, furniture, spatial and health requirements – S3.3, S3.4, S3.5, S3.6, S3.7, S3.8, S3.9, S3.10 and S5.2 (Wombats) 155

A4.27 – Unquantifiable minor cost of transport requirements – S11.1 and S11.2 (Wombats) 158

A4.28 – Summary of quantifiable incremental costs under the taxon standards Option B and C1 158

A4.29 – Summary of distribution of incremental costs under the taxon standards for Option B 166

Appendix 5 – Complete list of public consultation questions 172

Appendix 6 - the proposed Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for the Welfare of Animals – Exhibited Animals 174