Thursday, 9 March 2023

Poultry industry

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:26): (80) My question is for the Minister for Agriculture. Every year 12 million chicks are killed on their first day of life in Australia. Biologically, only female chicks can lay eggs, but statistically around half of chicks born for the industry are male. After hatching, these chicks are put onto conveyor belts and sorted by sex. Currently the standard industry practice to deal with the unwanted male chicks is to send that conveyor belt into an industrial-sized blender, where they are minced alive in a practice known as chick shredding. In 2020 a parliamentary committee recommended that the government examine alternative practices with a view to adopting world’s best practice. Despite government support for this recommendation, live chick maceration continues across Victoria while other countries around the world adopt advanced prehatching technologies. Have the government conducted their examination into alternative practices to chick shredding?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:27): I thank Ms Purcell for her question, and I will pass that on to the Minister for Agriculture for a response.

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:28): Thanks, Minister Symes, for the referral. At the 2018 state election the Andrews government made a commitment to modernising Victoria’s animal protection laws. This is an instrument that could be used to end routine cruelty such as chick shredding, and it was recommended these laws be implemented urgently by the same parliamentary committee. Five years on we are yet to see this happen. Will the government introduce protections that stop the practice of macerating baby chickens alive in this legislation?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:28): Again I thank Ms Purcell for her supplementary question and her passion for this topic. I am sure that Minister Tierney will be happy to engage with you on this and, in accordance with the standing orders, provide a response.