Animal Welfare Priorities for the Australian Government 2025

RSPCA Knowledgebase Report Cruelty Donate

Our role

The state and territory member Societies provide services to animals in need through their shelters and inspectorates. In the national office, RSPCA Australia works to influence animal welfare policy, practice and legislation across the country

Go to Our role

Animal welfare science

Caring for animals

Farm animal welfare

Public education

Advocacy

Enforcing the law

Key issues

The RSPCA advocates for the welfare of animals across a number of industries, issues and platforms. Help from our supporters is important to progress change. Working together is key.

Go to Key issues

Priority issue

On 1 July 2024, the Federal Government…

Live sheep export

News

Here you'll find the latest news relating to the RSPCA's vital work, press releases on national events, education on animal welfare issues, animal welfare science updates and our very own podcast covering a range of current topics.

Go to News

Blog

Media centre

Podcast

RSPCA welcomes inclusion of mandatory video surveillance in updated Animal Welfare Certification System

Read the media release

Support us

Whether you're an individual or a business, there are multiple ways you can support the RSPCA

Go to Support us

An animal in the RSPCA care being cared for by an RSPCA vet

Donate now to support your local RSPCA and make a difference to animal welfare across Australia

Donate

Learn

The RSPCA aims to make evidence-based research accessible to the community, so that they can have confidence in the choices made when it comes to animal welfare.

Go to Learn

Knowledgebase Offsite

Animal Welfare Seminar

Animal Welfare Science Update

Download our latest issue

Education resources

Cage free and proud

Choose Wisely

Responsible sourcing

RSPCA Approved Standards

RSPCA Animal Welfare Seminar 2025

Animal ethics and animal welfare…

Learn more

About

The RSPCA is an independent, community-based charity providing animal care and protection services across the country.

Go to About

Annual reports

Annual statistics

Board & governance

Scholarships

Join our team

Our history

Contact

Read our National Statistics

Compiled on a national basis by RSPCA…

Annual statistics

Adopt

By choosing adoption, you’ll not only have the chance to make a friend for life, but you’ll be giving an animal a second chance and helping support the RSPCA.

Go to Adopt

Adopting a dog or puppy

Love is Blind

Adopting a cat or kitten

Safe and happy cats

Adopting other animals

Responsible pet ownership

Visit the Adopt A Pet website

Make a difference to a pet’s life today.

Search Adoptapet

RSPCA Knowledgebase Report Cruelty Donate

Animal Welfare Priorities for the Australian Government 2025

Australians care about animals, and they are deeply connected with our lives, from companion animals to farmed animals and native wildlife. And while much animal welfare legislation and regulation in Australia is the responsibility for state and territory governments, the Federal Government still has a significant role to play in demonstrating leadership in animal welfare. That’s why, this federal election, the RSPCA is calling on the next Australian Government to commit to several key priority areas, to improve animal welfare and meet community expectations.

Subscribe here

We request the next Australian Federal Government to commit to these three priority areas:

Priority 1: End live sheep export by 1 May 2028

The RSPCA has long opposed live sheep export due to the inherent animal welfare risks. Contemporary animal welfare science and publicly reported evidence has demonstrated that sheep continue to experience poor welfare and die on live export voyages. Many sheep suffer from heat stress, illness, and injury during the voyage, and many are slaughtered conscious at the end of the journey, a method that is not consistent with Australian standards or community expectations.

These welfare issues, along with strong community support and a decline in the trade led to the 47th Parliament finally passing legislation to phase out live sheep export by 1 May 2028. It’s crucial that the next Australian Government keeps that commitment, ensuring live sheep export is phased out in favour of a more humane future for sheep and a more sustainable future, investing in expanding the boxed and chilled meat trade.

Priority 2: National leadership on animal welfare

Australia has a fragmented approach to animal welfare. The current process to develop and implement Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines is ineffective and has resulted in inconsistent animal welfare protections across state and territory jurisdictions. Australia needs cohesive, national leadership to make effective progress on improving the many welfare issues affecting Australian animals and threatening our international reputation.

To make these improvements a number of key developments are needed. This includes:

a federal Independent Commission for Animal Welfare, separate from Government agencies who manage competing priorities balancing productivity of animal use industries while being tasked with considering animal welfare;
a ministerial portfolio for animal welfare focused solely on animal welfare, and aid in progressing animal welfare standards in industry;
expanding the scope and responsibility of the Inspector-General for Animal Welfare and Live Animal Export to include broader oversight of animal welfare standards import and export of live animals and animal products, management and protection of native animals, management of introduced animals
adding further investment to the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy to help achieve the goals that were endorsed in the National Statement on Animal Welfare by the Agricultural Ministers in 2024;
and requiring mandatory and prominent description of the source of egg ingredients, identifying those from caged hens, so that unwitting Australians don’t purchase products produced from systems they’re opposed to, and to facilitate the phase out of battery cages and reduce cage eggs as a ‘hidden ingredient.’

Priority 3: Animal welfare in Australian trade agreements

An Animal Welfare Trade Policy is needed to provide an informed framework to facilitate trade arrangements that involve live animals as well as animal products and by-products. This will ensure Australia can foster more sustainable development practices and demonstrate animal welfare improvements domestically and internationally. We call on the next Federal Government to develop an Animal Welfare Trade Policy as soon as possible, building on the work at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has already commenced with the inclusion of animal welfare in the UK and UAE trade agreements.

Read the full priorities

RSPCA Animal welfare priorities for the Australian Government 2025

Download (pdf) 48 KB

TAKE ACTION FOR ANIMALS THIS ELECTION

Contact federal candidates in your electorate to share why animals are important to you, ask them to commit to the RSPCA’s election priorities to improve animal welfare.
Share this page with family and friends, or on social media – reminding the community that animal welfare matters.
Contact your local media (e.g., write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, call talkback radio) in support of these priorities and a better future for Australian animals.

Authorised by Richard Mussell, RSPCA Australia, 6 Napier Close, Deakin.

Subscribe here

Subscribe today and we’ll keep you updated on all the latest campaigns, events and news.

We care about your data in our privacy policy.