Australia is a country of contradictions in animal welfare: home to world-leading wildlife conservation and a significant animal welfare movement, but also to the live export industry, sheep mulesing, extensive kangaroo shooting, and intensive livestock farming that lags behind European standards. Understanding the Australian welfare landscape is essential for anyone interested in global animal advocacy.
Animal welfare in Australia is primarily a state and territory responsibility, with the federal government taking limited roles. Each state and territory has its own animal welfare legislation:
| State/Territory | Primary Legislation |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 (being replaced by animal welfare legislation) |
| Victoria | Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (under review) |
| Queensland | Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 |
| South Australia | Animal Welfare Act 1985 |
| Western Australia | Animal Welfare Act 2002 |
| Tasmania | Animal Welfare Act 1993 |
| ACT | Animal Welfare Act 1992 (most progressive in Australia) |
| Northern Territory | Animal Welfare Act 1999 |
Federal involvement is primarily through trade law (live export), biosecurity, and wildlife law (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act). A long-standing criticism is the absence of national minimum standards for farm animal welfare.
Australia is one of the world's largest live animal exporters, shipping sheep and cattle to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere. Footage from investigation by Animals Australia and others showing mass animal suffering at sea and in destination countries led to significant public campaigns and the suspension of live sheep exports to the Middle East during summer months. The Labor government elected in 2022 committed to phasing out live sheep exports, with phase-out legislation progressing in 2024-2025. Live cattle exports continue. The welfare implications are severe: long sea voyages, extreme heat, high mortality rates in some cargoes, and slaughter in countries with minimal welfare standards.
Mulesing — the removal of skin folds around the breech area of merino sheep to prevent flystrike — is a painful procedure performed without anaesthetic in most Australian flocks. Australia is the only major wool producer that still practices mulesing at scale. Industry-endorsed pain relief products are available but adoption has been slow. New Zealand's wool industry committed to ending mulesing; Australian industry has resisted. Mulesing is a major factor in many brand boycotts of Australian wool and has cost the industry market share in animal-welfare-conscious markets.
Australia operates the world's largest land-based commercial wildlife harvest — millions of kangaroos are shot annually for meat and hides. The industry operates under federal commercial harvesting quotas across four species. While the industry presents this as humane wildlife management, welfare concerns include: wounding rates (joeys not instantaneously killed), the fate of dependent young (joeys in pouches and at foot), and the cumulative population impacts in drought years. The humaneness of kangaroo killing is contested in the scientific literature.
Australia has large battery cage egg, sow stall, and intensive pig industries. While there has been progress — sow stalls were phased out in Australia by 2017 — battery cages remain in use for laying hens, and Australian welfare standards for broiler chickens and pigs remain below those required in the EU.
The Albanese Labor government's commitment to end live sheep exports represents the most significant federal animal welfare reform in decades. Legislation to phase out the trade passed in 2024 — a landmark win for animal advocacy organizations that had campaigned on the issue for over 30 years.
The Australian Capital Territory has been consistently the most progressive jurisdiction on animal welfare, banning battery cages, sow stalls, and being the first Australian jurisdiction to end jumps racing. The ACT's animal welfare reforms have served as a model for other states.