The Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 (ACPA) requires anyone registered to use animals for scientific purposes in Queensland to submit an annual report to Biosecurity Queensland on their animal use.

You must submit your animal use statistics (AUS) report on or before 31 May each year for animals used in the previous calendar year.

The animals you need to report

You need to report animals as defined in ACPA. This includes:

• any live vertebrate, including amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles
• all species of the class Cephalopoda (octopi, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus)—cephalopods were granted legal status as animals in Queensland as of 21 July 2006
• live pre-natal or pre-hatched creatures in the last half of gestation, such as:
  • a mammalian or reptilian foetus
  • mammalian or reptilian young
  • pre-hatched avian
  • live marsupial young
• the remains of an animal that was killed for a scientific purpose.

Human beings and human foetuses are not animals, nor are the eggs, spat or spawn of fish.

Guidelines for submitting your AUS report

The Guidelines for completing the animal use statistics (AUS) report provide all the information you need to report your animal use for the last calendar year to Biosecurity Queensland.

Read the guidelines carefully before completing the AUS report workbook.

The guidelines contain information on:

• who needs to submit an AUS report
• how to submit a NIL AUS report if no animals were used during the reporting period
• downloading and submitting the AUS report
• how to complete the AUS report
• explanations for the categories used in the AUS report
• who to contact for assistance.

General instructions for completing the AUS report

If you are submitting your AUS report to Biosecurity Queensland, you must download and complete the Biosecurity Queensland animal use statistics report.

To save the workbook, you will need to:

• right-click on the link above and click 'Open the link in new tab or new window
• click on the new tab or window and download the workbook
• open the file from your downloads folder
• click on the 'Enable Editing' button (at the top of the workbook)
• save the file as an Excel workbook to a folder on your computer or network.

Investigators and teachers must report to their animal ethics committee (AEC) and keep records on each approved project that uses animals for scientific purposes.

Reporting requirements

We recommend that AECs develop a form to guide investigators and teachers to prepare annual progress and completion reports.

Investigators must provide written annual progress reports to their AEC, which may include:

• the progress achieved so far
• any problems that may have interfered with project progress
• the number of animals used
• if the wellbeing of the animals is consistent with what was outlined in the proposal
• whether any changes to the project are expected
• whether the project is meeting its aims.

The AEC must review the annual progress reports and—in consultation with the investigator—decide to continue, suspend, modify or discontinue the project.

The following reports are required.

Completion reports to AECs

When a project is completed or discontinued, the investigator or teacher must submit a completion report to the AEC. The completion report should advise the AEC on:

• whether the project's aims were achieved
• whether the number of animals used varied from the approved number and, if so, why any major discrepancies occurred
• whether the wellbeing of the animals was consistent with what was outlined in the proposal
• how procedures could be modified in future projects to reduce any adverse impacts on animal wellbeing
• publications and presentations that have resulted from the project.

Recordkeeping

Investigators and teachers must keep records for a minimum of 7 years after all related use of animals is complete.

Correspondence and reports

Investigators and teachers who use animals for scientific purposes must keep complete records of all correspondence with:

• their institution (e.g. university, department or company)
• their AEC
• the animal facility manager
• collaborators.

This includes:

• all proposals submitted to the AEC and responses from the AEC (e.g. approval notice or certificate)
• requests for modifications to approved proposals and responses from the AEC
• all reports to the AEC and AEC responses to the reports, including:
  • annual reports
  • completion reports
  • unexpected adverse event reports
  • other reports that may be requested by the AEC.

Records required from investigators

The Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes (scientific use code) requires investigators to keep the following records.

Reporting

Animal facility managers are required to ensure they provide reports to their animal ethics committee (AEC) in accordance with the institution’s policies and procedures and the Australian code for the use of animals for scientific purposes (scientific use code). This includes:

• an annual report of activities
• and
• prompt notification of unexpected adverse events relating to animals for which the facility manager is responsible (see clause 2.5.15 of the scientific use code).

Recordkeeping

Animal facility managers are required to maintain and make available records in accordance with the scientific use code.

We recommend that animal facility managers report regularly to the AEC on the status of the animal facilities, staff, education and other resource issues, and the wellbeing of animals in their care (e.g. through regular reports to AEC meetings).

Animal ethics committees (AECs) and institutions must keep records as required by the Australian code for the use of animals for scientific purposes (scientific use code).

These records should be kept for a minimum of 7 years after all related use of animals has been completed.

The chairperson must ensure AEC records are maintained and available for review by the institution and authorised external reviewers.

Records that must be kept by AEC include:

We recommend that the register be in the form of a database that provides access to data for reporting and monitoring purposes.

Institutions and their animal ethics committees (AECs) are required to provide a number of reports, including:

Annual report to AEC's institution

The scientific use code requires the AEC to submit a written report annually to the governing body of the institution.

The report informs institutional management about the operation of the AEC and identifies any problems the institution will need to address.

The AEC chair must oversee preparation of the report and meet with the governing body of the institution to assess the report and review the operation of the AEC. The report should provide information on:

• numbers and types of projects and activities assessed, and approved or rejected
• the physical facilities for the care and use of animals by the institution
• actions that have supported the educational and training needs of AEC members and people involved in the care and use of animals
• administrative or other difficulties being experienced
• any matters that may affect the institution's ability to maintain compliance with the code and, if appropriate, provide suitable recommendations.

AUS report to Biosecurity Queensland

The ACPA requires anyone registered with Biosecurity Queensland as a user of animals for scientific purposes (the registrant) to provide an annual report to Biosecurity Queensland on their animal use.

Registrants must submit the animal use statistics (AUS) report by 31 May each year for animals used in the previous calendar year using Biosecurity Queensland's submission process. The AUS report provides details of:

• registrant and the AEC that approved the use
• number and type of animals used
• the broad purpose of each activity
• the category of welfare impact for each activity
• details of any complaints and grievances relating to scientific use.

Find out more about the AUS report.

Who should submit the AUS Report?

The ACPA requires the registrant to provide the AUS report to Biosecurity Queensland. A registrant can be either an individual or a corporation and, in the case of joint projects, it is important that the animals used are reported only once to avoid duplication. The different investigators and/or institutions involved in the project must decide at the start of the project who will submit the report.

Reports should be submitted by or on behalf of the registrant. The registrant may report directly to Biosecurity Queensland or arrange with its AEC for the AEC to submit the report on the registrant's behalf.

Registrants or their AECs should collect and collate the required information from individual investigators or teachers that used animals. They should provide information on each activity to the AEC via annual progress reports or completion reports.

The Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes (scientific use code) requires investigators to report any unexpected adverse event to the animal ethics committee (AEC).

The scientific use code defines an unexpected adverse event as an event that may have a negative impact on the wellbeing of animals and wasn't anticipated in the approved project or activity.

An unexpected adverse event may result from different causes, including but not limited to:

• death of an animal, or group of animals, that was not expected (e.g. during surgery or anaesthesia, or after a procedure or treatment)
• adverse effects following a procedure or treatment that were not expected
• adverse effects in a larger number of animals than predicted during the planning of the project or activity, based on the number of animals actually used, not the number approved for the project or activity
• a greater level of pain or distress than was predicted during the planning of the project or activity
• power failures, inclement weather, emergency situations or other factors external to the project or activity that have a negative impact on the welfare of the animals.

Examples of situations that require reporting include:

• deaths of animals not described in the proposal (e.g. 5 of 15 cattle die during road transport)
• complications not described in proposal (e.g. a type of anaesthetic doesn't provide adequate pain relief)
• more deaths or complications than described in proposal (e.g. 10% of animals die following surgery when a 5% fatality rate was expected and justified in the proposal)
• facility or equipment failure that compromises animal welfare or the success of the activity (e.g. power loss to facility means ventilated mouse cages don't receive fresh air–mice may suffer from build-up of ammonia)
• facility or management practices or investigator monitoring that are not meeting the animals' needs (e.g. birds have sore feet due to the type of flooring)
• facility, management or experimental procedures are having a greater negative welfare impact than was described and approved (e.g. cattle have significantly poorer feed intake or growth rates than expected).

When an unexpected adverse event report is not required

An unexpected adverse event report is not required if:

• the AEC knows that the adverse event may happen
• the event happened as expected and has been approved by the AEC.

Users of animals for scientific purposes should provide details of the type and extent of possible adverse events in their proposal (application) to the AEC. If the events happen as expected, they do not have to report them separately, unless additional reporting is a condition of AEC approval.

Investigators should check with their institution or AEC, because internal policy may require additional reporting.

Examples of situations that do not require reporting include:

• expected deaths of animals as described and approved in the proposal (e.g. losses of up to 5% of birds in intensive poultry trial if 5% incidental losses was described and approved in the proposal)
• outbreak and response to treatment of a disease or complication as described and approved in the proposal (e.g. Barber's-pole worms in sheep, respiratory disease or foot problems up to the expected severity in an expected number of cattle in a feedlot that resolved with routine care and management).

Information to include in an unexpected adverse event report

The scientific use code does not indicate what information you should provide in an unexpected adverse event report to the AEC.

Some adverse events that have a known cause, and all reasonable steps to lessen their occurrence have been taken, may require only a brief report and little or no further action. For example, you can report less significant events, or events which have no implications for current or future activities, simply as a brief email or phone message for the AEC to note (e.g. '6 cattle found dead alongside fence following electrical storm—presumably electrocuted').

You should report more significant or severe events in detail, particularly those that suggest modifications to underlying management, scientific procedure, facility or training are required.

Investigators, teachers and animal facility managers should seek advice from their institution or AEC on whether they require a brief or detailed unexpected adverse event report.

Detailed unexpected adverse event reports should include:

• the description of the event
• how the event and welfare of the animals are monitored and addressed
• the actual and potential impacts of the event on animal welfare
• the actual and potential impacts of the event on the aims and outcomes of the activity
• what immediate and long-term steps are being taken or considered to investigate causes and develop future prevention strategies.

Time frame for reporting an unexpected adverse event

Investigators are required to report unexpected adverse events promptly.

The scientific use code requires institutions to develop institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals, which includes guidance around prompt reporting to the AEC.

The actual timing of the unexpected adverse event report will depend on the investigator's access to the AEC (via phone, email or post) and the severity of the impact on the animals. Report severe events and events that have implications for current activities as quickly as possible.

If you don't have enough information to complete a detailed unexpected adverse event report immediately, consider providing a brief preliminary notification to the AEC to advise that you'll provide a fully detailed unexpected adverse event report later.

Reducing the need for unexpected adverse event reports

Unexpected adverse events reports are only required for adverse events that the AEC doesn't already know about and hasn't already approved.

You can reduce the likelihood of having to submit an unexpected adverse event report by advising the AEC in advance about the potential for adverse events.

AECs can be advised of potential adverse events by:

• investigators and teachers through activity proposals (applications) to the AEC
• animal facility managers through written procedures for the management of holding and breeding facilities.

Proposals and management procedures submitted to the AEC for approval should:

• identify all reasonably likely potential problems, issues, events that may negatively impact on the wellbeing of animals
• describe how these potential problems will be minimised, monitored for and managed.

If unexpected adverse events subsequently occur and are resolved as approved by the AEC, an unexpected adverse event report is not required.

Only authorised departmental officers have access to information collected by the Department of Primary Industries and Biosecurity Queensland about the use of animals for scientific purposes. This includes information collected for:

• consideration of a registration application
• collecting annual animal use statistics
• the monitoring program for the use of animals for scientific purposes.

All departmental staff are bound by a code of conduct, which includes obligations of confidentiality as part of the Information Privacy Act 2009 and the Right to Information Act 2009, which regulate how information is held and released by the government.

All information is stored securely and personal information won't be disclosed to a third party without consent, unless required by law or for the purposes of the Information Privacy Act.

See the Right to Information and Information Privacy for full details on the collection, storage, use and disclosure of information held by government