Senate Comm announces support for the establishment of a national horse traceability register.

Names AHIC as being key to bring horse industry together. 

After a nine-month process, the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Senate Committee handed down its final report on Thursday into the Feasibility of a national horse traceability register for all horses.

After receiving submissions from across the horse industry and two public hearings, the Senate committee has recommended the establishment of a working group under the auspices of the Federal Department of Agriculture. The aim will be to progress the development and implementation of a national horse traceability register to report back in 12months.

The committee has called upon the AHIC to play a key role in the working group.  Namely, to land a unified industry front to engage with Commonwealth, state and territory governments and to negotiate and communicate the specific requirements of the industry.  

The AHIC bought invited equine organisations and data base specialist companies already working in this sector for a round table discussion on Friday November 29 in Melbourne to discuss the senate recommendations and to begin consulting with the horse industry.  

This followed an industry survey to help us understand the extent of the data and information already being collected. Thank you to all the organisations that have responded so far. 

What would best describe your current database, system or organisation best? 

·     A record of *horses? 

·     A record of owners? 

·     A platform for running competitions or organising entries to competitions? 

·     Or all of the previous? 

(*Note when reading horse/horses in the following questions, this also relates to ponies, donkeys and mules.) 

If a record of horses, does it require a microchip as means of identifying? Does it require a brand? Does it require both? Does it require no more than a name? For identification do you use a drawn representation of hair whorls, markings and any scars? For the horses do you collect DNA? Do you use/accept any other forms of horse identification? Do you keep a record of parentage/pedigree of all horses in your registry system? Do you keep a record of where the horses are kept? For the address of where the horses are kept do you need a PIC or simply the address? 

If a record of horse owners, what information do you require? Address of where the owner lives? Do you record where the horses are kept if at a different location? 

If your platform is used to assist in running competitions, does your organisation or system require the owner to provide details of where the horse originated from and where it will go to after the event has been held (biosecurity tracing documentation)? In the entry forms are microchip numbers required for every competing horse? In the entry forms do you simply require a horses name? Must the horse owner use the same name for their horse across all registries and competition platforms? 

Please email it to  secretary@horsecouncil.org.au

The AHIC is committed to representing the industry during this crucial time. We invite you to join us as members and subject matter experts, and attend our Industry Advisory Committee members. 

We will be announcing a new introductory membership package to help engage with you and the broader industry and ensure that government gets a comprehensive and effective voice from the equine community. 

Appearance before the Senate Committee looking into the Feasibility of a National Horse Register.

The second public hearing into the feasibility of a national horse register was held at Parliament House Canberra on Friday, September 20.

You can read the Committee Hansard of the day here.

The AHIC would like to thank the committee for the opportunity for our President, Mark Burnell to appear today. This is the opening statement from the AHIC to the hearing.

There is a great deal of interest in the register from across the equine community and the AHIC undertakes to continue to consult with our members and the wider industry.

Prior to the commencement of public hearings, organisations and individuals had the ability to make a submission for consideration. You can find the AHIC submission and all submissions here.

The AHIC holds a number of Industry Advisory Committee meetings throughout the year, the next one will be in November and the Senate Inquiry will once again be a major agenda item for discussion for our members.

We will let you know where and when that will be shortly.

National Horse Traceability Register

The second Public Hearing by the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport will be held at Parliament House Canberra on Friday, September 20.

Mark Burnell, President of the AHIC will appear before the committee at 10am.

The committee is examining the feasibility of a National Horse Traceability Register for all horses, with particular reference to:

1. the existence and adequacy of state or industry-based registers;

2. the benefits of a national register, including for animal welfare, biosecurity safety (including for the prevention and management of Emergency Animal Diseases, such as equine influenza and African Horse Sickness), backyard breeding and the integrity of trade in horses;

3. overseas models of national tracking systems for horses;

4. funding, enforcement and penalty implications; and

5. any related matters.

A number of submissions have been made to the committee, including by the AHIC. The committee will report back by December 5.