ALRTA (The  Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association) has welcomed the the new national animal welfare notice issued by the NHVR (National Heavy Vehicle Regulator). The updated National Livestock Welfare Work and Rest Exemption (Notice) 2017 (No.1) is in force across the states and territories under the NHVR (that is NSW, ACT, SA, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland) as of 10 February 2017. Under the notice, heavy vehicle drivers carrying livestock and operating under the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme’s (NHVAS) Standard and Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) certification have up to one hour additional driving time to address potential animal-welfare threats. Drivers must specify their driving hours and rest breaks taken in log books and under the notice drivers total driving time will not be increased however it can be used on consecutive days. Drivers will therefore need to increase the duration of their rest break by twice the duration of any additional driving in the corresponding period. Drivers carrying animals such as cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, horses, poultry, emus, ostrich, alpaca, deer, buffalo and camels are included in the notice. The new notice has been applauded by ALRTA and its president Kevin Keenan. He said the notice would replace less workable state-based notices in NSW and SA that expired at midnight the previous day. ALRTA has deemed the notice a “common sense approach” to the issue. Mr Keenan also explained that the new notice came after consultation with the national livestock body.

“While the HVNL stipulates work and rest rules for heavy vehicle drivers, the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Land Transport of Livestock concurrently stipulate maximum periods that water may be withheld from live animals as well as other requirements such as unloading livestock promptly after arriving at a destination,” he says. “Unforeseen circumstances can sometimes prevent a driver from reaching a suitable destination to unload livestock within generally permitted driving hours.  “If a driver is less than one hour from a suitable unloading site, this notice will enable that driver to reach the destination and safely and humanely unload the livestock rather than keeping them in the vehicle during a long rest break.” Mr Keenan went on to state.

See more at https://www.ownerdriver.com.au/industry-news/1702/updated-animal-welfare-transport-notice-in-force.