📜 Animal Welfare Amendment (Chief Animal Protection Officer) Bill 2025

Legislative Council Second ReadingLCBill 4018 September 2025Private Member

This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act 2002 to establish the independent office of Chief Animal Protection Officer (CAPO) responsible for administering animal welfare laws, overseeing inspectors, and reporting to Parliament. It also creates an Animal Protection Advisory Committee and makes consequential amendments to other Acts.

Impact

Animals will benefit from strengthened oversight and enforcement of welfare laws. The public will have increased transparency and accountability in animal welfare administration. Government agencies and animal welfare organisations will need to adapt to the new regulatory structure.

Key Changes

["Establishes the office of Chief Animal Protection Officer (CAPO).", "Creates an Independent Office of Animal Protection.", "Establishes an Animal Protection Advisory Committee.", "Amends the Cat Act 2011 and Dog Act 1976 to include reporting requirements for the CAPO."]

Parliamentary Progress

LC First ReadingLC18 Sept 2025
LC Second Reading SpeechLC18 Sept 2025
LC Second Reading MovedLC18 Sept 2025

Affected Sectors

agriculturepublic_sectorenvironment

Penalty Provisions3 found

criminal · regulatory

5H(2)(d)Criminal

Misconduct by the Chief Animal Protection Officer

“(d) has been guilty of misconduct as defined in the Corruption, Crime and Misconduct Act 2003 section 4; or”

5H(2)(e)Regulatory

Breach of a code of ethics by the Chief Animal Protection Officer

“(e) if regulations made for the purposes of section 94(2)(da) are in force — has committed a breach of a code of ethics in circumstances that are set out in the code of ethics as being a serious breach of ethics.”

5UCriminalfine

Failure to comply with notice to produce or attend

“5U. Failure to comply with notice to produce or attend”

View on Parliament website →Bill PDF EM PDF