52551 (2025). Steve Abel to the Associate Minister of Agriculture

52551 (2025). Steve Abel to the Associate Minister of Agriculture: What actions, if any, will the Minister take to address legal implications, if any, of proposed changes setting new requirements for the use of farrowing crates, in light of the 2020 High Court ruling that the regulations for farrowing crates were unlawful and invalid under the Animal Welfare Act?

Hon Andrew Hoggard: The 2020 High Court judgment found that regulation 26 of the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations 2018 concerning farrowing crates was unlawful and invalid as it had been made using section 183(A)(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Subsequently, in December 2020, Cabinet made a new regulation under section 183(A)(2) allowing existing practices to continue until 18 December 2025. The five-year "transition" period is now close to expiring. Because farmers were not informed of the new welfare requirements they would need to adapt to, they do not have sufficient time to make changes to their farm infrastructure or practices. To address this situation, I have proposed a new regulation, with an appropriate transition period.