Legal requirements

Queensland's livestock movement requirements are in place to prevent the spread of pests and diseases, and safeguard our food and markets.

Procedures and facilities are in place to:

ensure livestock can be identified and movements traced
ensure livestock are free of certain pests and diseases
prevent chemical residues in stock and products
ensure animals are well cared for during transportation.

These requirements apply to a range of livestock.

This guide describes the legal requirements for moving livestock, including National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) requirements.

National Livestock Identification System

The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) ensures lifetime movements of cattle, bison, buffalo, sheep, pigs and goats can be identified and recorded within Australia. Queensland participates in the NLIS, which is supported by Queensland legislation.

Traceability, especially lifetime traceability, is important for biosecurity purposes, including the management of disease and chemical residues.

View our National Livestock Identification System video for more information.

Property identification code (PIC)

The NLIS is based on the property identification system. Animal movements are recorded against property identification codes (PICs) on the National NLIS database.

Anyone in Queensland who keeps the threshold number of livestock are registerable biosecurity entities, must be registered with Biosecurity Queensland and will be allocated a PIC.

NLIS requirements

There are specific NLIS requirements when moving different types of livestock in Queensland. All cattle, bison, buffalo, sheep, pigs and goats must be fitted with an approved NLIS device when moving between properties identified with a different PIC. All movements must be reported to the NLIS database within 48 hours of livestock being moved.

NLIS devices are permanent devices that must not be removed once fitted, and will remain for the lifetime of that animal. If a device is lost, the animal must be retagged with an approved NLIS device prior to moving off the property.

Ordering NLIS devices

Approved devices and tags are only available from licenced manufacturers.

To order an approved device or tag, registered biosecurity entities or authorised users must first obtain an 'Application for Permanent NLIS Device' signed by a biosecurity inspector. This application is available from Department of Primary Industry (DPI) offices where biosecurity inspectors are located. You can also access an NLIS order form online via the Biosecurity Entity Registration portal. Contact our Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23 for assistance.

Natural disasters and stray stock

The NLIS can be used to assist the relocation of livestock displaced by a natural disaster, or livestock that have strayed.

Find out how the NLIS can help with moving cattle during floods and natural disasters and identifying stray cattle after a natural disaster.

Also consider...

Read the complete NLIS guide.
Learn about movement records.
Find out about animal welfare during transport.
Watch our National Livestock Identification System video.

Livestock entry requirements for Queensland

You no longer need a certificate of health to bring livestock into Queensland. Instead, owners must ensure that they understand and have met all requirements for moving livestock within Queensland.

Livestock owners have a general biosecurity obligation to prevent or minimise the likelihood or impact of a biosecurity risk.

People introducing livestock into Queensland should seek a written assurance about the health status of the animals to be introduced.

Specific requirements for moving livestock

Entry requirements for other states and territories

Also consider...

Contact our Customer Service Centre.
Learn about movement records.
Find out about animal welfare during transport.

Transporting livestock - case study video

This video describes best practice for transporting livestock. Greg McDougall, a senior policy officer for Biosecurity Queensland, explains that, in order to deliver animals in the best possible condition, you need to understand the needs of particular animals.

For more information, read the Australian animal welfare standards and guidelines for the transport of livestock.

[Greg McDougall, Senior Policy Officer, Animal Welfare, Biosecurity Queensland]
Good transport of livestock should aim to deliver the animals in the best possible condition, and a key to achieving this is understanding the animal and being able to provide for its needs.
When you're transporting animals, it's important that you segregate certain classes and species of animals. For example, calves should not be transported with pigs, or if calves are travelling without their mother they should not be transported with adult cattle. And also, stallions should be segregated from other horses during transport. It's also important when you're transporting, to conduct regular inspections to make sure animals are travelling alright and not experiencing any difficulties, and if they are experiencing difficulties, give them any assistance necessary to relieve that.
When you're considering transporting livestock, you've got to look at the animal's fitness for the intended journey. That means it's got enough vigour to withstand the rigours of the journey. When you're making this assessment in selecting the livestock, you want to be looking at things like: can the animal walk on all 4 legs, bearing weight on all 4 legs? Is their body condition strong? Are they free from any conditions such as disease or injury that may impact on the animal's ability to withstand the journey?
Young animals are generally more susceptible to stress than older animals during transport so particular care needs to be taken. They have a shorter time off water requirement, and particularly in the case of young calves travelling without their mother, they have specific feed requirements that need to be met.
The Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for the Transport of Livestock were developed nationally and provide recommendations on what a person should do when transporting livestock.

Watch

1:58

Livestock movement records

A movement record is a compulsory document that must be created when animals are moved between properties in Queensland. It identifies the owner of the animals being moved, describes the animals being moved and provides details of the movement.

The purpose of a movement record is to allow animals to be traced in the event of a disease. Movement records are a tool used by Biosecurity Queensland to investigate where a disease may have originated from or spread to. These records benefit livestock owners by reducing the time frame when we assess the risk of a disease.

When you need a movement record

You need to create a movement record when moving cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, bison, buffalo, deer, members of the Camelidae family (alpacas, camels, llamas), the Equidae family (horses, donkeys, mules, zebras), designated birds and bees. A designated bird is a captive bird that is kept for human consumption or to produce eggs for human consumption; or has been released for free flight since it started be to be kept in captivity e.g. racing pigeon.

You also need a movement record when receiving animals onto your property. You must either create a movement record or take a copy of the existing movement record that includes the required details.

Creating a movement record

The registered biosecurity entity (RBE) keeping the animal must ensure that a movement record is created before the animal can be moved. A movement record can be completed in hard copy or electronically and must include the following details:

name of person completing the record
where the animal(s) are being moved from
where the animal(s) are being moved to and the name and address of the person receiving the animal
the date of movement
species and breed of animal being moved
description of the animal or group of animals.

Movement records for cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, bison, buffalo, alpacas and llamas must also:

be signed by the individual completing the record, unless it is created and kept in electronic form only
have a serial number that is unique for the record
clearly state the property identification code (PIC) shown on any approved device that does not include a microchip that is fitted to the animal.

A copy of the completed movement record must accompany the following animal(s) being moved:

cattle
sheep
goats
pigs
bison
buffalo
alpacas
llamas
horses moving between cattle tick zones.

A movement record for other members of the Camelidae family (camels, guanacos, vicunas), the Equidae family (horses, donkeys, mules, zebras) moving within Queensland cattle tick zones, designated birds and bees does not have to be in the possession of the person moving the animals.

These records must be kept for 2 years after the event.

Event organisers and movement records

If you are organising an event that involves animals you must record the following information:

details of the place from which the animal(s) came from and the name and address of the person that delivered the horse before the event
details of the place the animal(s) is being moved to and the name and address of the person that received the animal(s) after the event
description of the animal(s)
date of the event
when the animal(s) arrived and left the event.

For sheep, goats, pigs, alpacas and llamas that are not fitted with an electronic approved device, the event organiser must record the PIC shown on the device of the animal.

These records must be kept for 2 years after the event.

Storing movement records

A copy of the movement record must be kept by the person completing it and the person receiving the following animals for 5 years after the movement:

cattle
sheep
goats
pigs
bison
buffalo
alpacas
llamas
horses moving between cattle tick zones.

A movement record for other members of the Camelidae family (camels, guanacos, vicunas), the Equidae family (horses, donkeys, mules, zebras), designated birds and bees must be kept by the person completing it and the person receiving the animals for 2 years after the movement.

Types of movement records

A movement record can be in any format (electronic or hardcopy). Some examples of different types of movement records are:

diary or logbook entries
notepads or exercise books
emails
text messages
Excel spreadsheets
movement record template (this is a template that can be used for all animals - some information may not be required for horse movements)
horse health declarations.

A National Vendor Declaration (NVD) is the preferred form of movement record when selling or moving cattle, sheep and goats. A PigPass is the preferred form when moving pigs.

Documents that are completed under the law of another state or territory that are similar to Queensland requirements may also be used as movement records.