Stricter Biosecurity Rules: No Altered Livestock Tags, Raw Milk Ban Strengthened, Bigger Fines, Better Compensation for Livestock Disease
Agriculture and Food Safety Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Topics
agriculture dairy products food business food licensing food safety meat industry raw milk seafood safety
Introduced by: The Hon Jaclyn Symes MLC (ALP); The Hon Ros Spence MP (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
anyone trespassing on agricultural properties or breaching biosecurity rules will face a fine twice as high as before, with individuals potentially fined up to $23,077 and organizations up to $115,386
both Victoria Police and biosecurity inspectors will have greater authority to investigate livestock-related crimes, such as theft, and to direct vehicles during biosecurity emergencies
possessing livestock with tampered identification tags will become an offence
livestock owners affected by animal disease outbreaks will have access to a streamlined compensation process, receiving payments based on market value
new offences will be created to prevent the sale, delivery, or provision of raw milk
News articles and press releases
2nd Reading Speech excerpt
Ros SPENCE, Member for Kalkallo — 2024-09-28
Requirements to pasteurise milk in line with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, and to treat raw milk products (such as bath milk) in a manner that will deter human consumption, will be transferred from existing dairy licence conditions into the Dairy Act itself, which is administered by DFSV.