Wednesday, 29 October 2025

 Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (18:34): (2051) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Agriculture, and the action I seek is that the government establish a parliamentary inquiry into Victorian sheep farming. The inquiry should investigate the welfare of sheep in Victoria, the adequacy of the legislative framework and the effectiveness of the current regulatory scheme.

Sheep Advocate Australia has documented widespread mistreatment of sheep on Victorian farms and repeated failures by Agriculture Victoria to ensure compliance with our animal welfare laws. Their material points to significant systemic problems in how we protect sheep welfare in this state. The patterns they describe are not a handful of bad actors, but rather they do suggest a broken framework that is not deterring cruelty and a regulator that is too stretched, too conflicted or both. Victoria’s laws are clear about the duty to provide food, water, shelter and veterinary care, yet Sheep Advocate Australia reports routine breaches of obligations under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 and the Victorian sheep code. They also raise concerns that complaints and evidence are not being investigated quickly or thoroughly and that enforcement actions are inconsistent. One of the community members has written to me saying:

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As a farmer, I am personally offended at how many people get away with neglecting their livestock. It’s not rocket science – feed, water and shelter. Every loser who neglects their stock not only gives away a free kick against farming, they anger and offend those of us who do look after our stock properly. Common decency says if you have the control of life or death over something, you do a proper job of it. And the government departments who keep letting it slide aren’t doing farmers any favours. You might think you’re giving farmers a hand by not acting promptly and enforcing strongly, but you just send the message that they don’t have to take care of their stock and make a mockery of good farmers.

We know that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 is out of date and that the government has consulted on the draft Animal Care and Protection Bill that aims to modernise the framework in Victoria. We have been expecting that bill to arrive in Parliament, and we hope to see it soon. I repeat: the action I seek tonight is that the government establish a parliamentary inquiry into Victorian sheep farming to address concerns such as those raised by those who have contacted my office.