Mrs PADGHAM-PURICH - 1996-05-16
The minister administers the brands legislation. The other day, I was looking through some old papers and I found a letter from him when he was clerk of brands, registering my brand in 1975. What procedures are in place to ensure that an accurate record is maintained strictly of all brands, both NT and interstate, on export cattle leaving Darwin?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, a number of things have happened in relation to export cattle. The major way of tracking them is through the waybill system. Not all states employ a waybill system. I was also stock routes clerk, and it was somewhat embarrassing to have a sign on my door to that effect. The Northern Territory had a system of permits that were required to accompany all travelling stock. However, we have progressed to what is more of a quality-assurance means of doing it. We rely on waybills. A brands register is maintained electronically. The NT brands are fairly easy to trace. They are a 3-letter brand, all including the letter T. A mathematical system enables identification of the ownership of a particular beast. The cross-branding method is also a means of tracing it back.
Queensland has a system of symbol brands. It is difficult to identify the place of origin quickly. Victoria does not require branding at all. It is a major talking-point at ARMCANZ meetings that we should have a national system of stock identification. In some places, people are talking about ear-tags. In other places, there is talk about electronic means of identifying cattle. Unfortunately, given the rangelands cattle production system used in the Northern Territory, it is impractical at this stage to rely on anything other than 3-letter fire brands.
It is vital that we be able to trace the ownership of cattle, not only to detect theft but also to trace diseased animals to their property of origin. Concerns have been expressed in recent times by the pastoral industry about cattle going across the Port of Darwin and other export ports. People are concerned that some pilfering of stock may be occurring. We have reinstituted the Stock Squad in an attempt to allay the fears of pastoralists. I do not know of any prosecutions that have been launched recently in relation to stolen cattle. However, it is a problem.
We have a system of cattle identification in the Northern Territory that works well and has worked well for some 80 years. However, it may be difficult at times to identify the precise ownership and origin of cattle coming from states which do not have a similar system of identification. Given that pastoralists may turn off cattle at the weaner stage and have them fattened somewhere else, then moved to a depot or sent to the honourable minister's property for spelling, it is difficult. Mobs can become mixed. A run of cattle may not always all have the same brand. That has been a problem in abattoirs for years. Most abattoirs pay strangers. I am not sure if they pay strangers across the port. It is a difficult task and it is one that agriculture and resource ministers throughout Australia are putting their minds to. I thank the honourable member for the question.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, a number of things have happened in relation to export cattle. The major way of tracking them is through the waybill system. Not all states employ a waybill system. I was also stock routes clerk, and it was somewhat embarrassing to have a sign on my door to that effect. The Northern Territory had a system of permits that were required to accompany all travelling stock. However, we have progressed to what is more of a quality-assurance means of doing it. We rely on waybills. A brands register is maintained electronically. The NT brands are fairly easy to trace. They are a 3-letter brand, all including the letter T. A mathematical system enables identification of the ownership of a particular beast. The cross-branding method is also a means of tracing it back.
Queensland has a system of symbol brands. It is difficult to identify the place of origin quickly. Victoria does not require branding at all. It is a major talking-point at ARMCANZ meetings that we should have a national system of stock identification. In some places, people are talking about ear-tags. In other places, there is talk about electronic means of identifying cattle. Unfortunately, given the rangelands cattle production system used in the Northern Territory, it is impractical at this stage to rely on anything other than 3-letter fire brands.
It is vital that we be able to trace the ownership of cattle, not only to detect theft but also to trace diseased animals to their property of origin. Concerns have been expressed in recent times by the pastoral industry about cattle going across the Port of Darwin and other export ports. People are concerned that some pilfering of stock may be occurring. We have reinstituted the Stock Squad in an attempt to allay the fears of pastoralists. I do not know of any prosecutions that have been launched recently in relation to stolen cattle. However, it is a problem.
We have a system of cattle identification in the Northern Territory that works well and has worked well for some 80 years. However, it may be difficult at times to identify the precise ownership and origin of cattle coming from states which do not have a similar system of identification. Given that pastoralists may turn off cattle at the weaner stage and have them fattened somewhere else, then moved to a depot or sent to the honourable minister's property for spelling, it is difficult. Mobs can become mixed. A run of cattle may not always all have the same brand. That has been a problem in abattoirs for years. Most abattoirs pay strangers. I am not sure if they pay strangers across the port. It is a difficult task and it is one that agriculture and resource ministers throughout Australia are putting their minds to. I thank the honourable member for the question.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016