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What’s happening at AHA? KEY STEPS Record response to poultry welfare standards AHA Communications team A record number of submissions have been received on the draft Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry (S&Gs) during the 90 day public consultation period, which came to an end on 26 February 2018. With over 167,000 submissions, it’s the largest response to a public consultation that AHA has managed, said Kathleen Plowman, AHA CEO. “It’s five times the amount of submissions received during the development of welfare standards and guidelines for other industries,” said Ms Plowman. “AHA recognises and appreciates the efforts of all stakeholders who helped spread the word about public consultation, ensuring the message went far and wide. Such extensive public consultation is what we set out to achieve, so it’s a fantastic result. “We also thank everyone who shared their views on the draft document. These submissions will help guide the development of the next version of the S&Gs and ensure that a robust document is delivered to Australia’s agriculture ministers,” said Ms Plowman. The draft standards mark an important step forward in poultry welfare in Australia, moving from the existing voluntary system to national regulation. Further details about the process can be found at www.animalwelfarestandards. net.au/poultry/poultry-publicconsultation 1 2 Public consultation went from Nov 2017 to Feb 2018; over 167,000 submissions were received. Submissions have been reviewed by an independent consultant. A summary report has been delivered to the Animal Welfare Task Group (AWTG). The AWTG includes representatives from all government jurisdictions. 3 Based on the feedback from public consultation, a revised welfare standards document will be developed under the direction of the AWTG. 4 5 20 THE LINK AUT/WIN 18 The revised welfare standards will then be provided for consideration to the Stakeholder Advisory Group, which is comprised of representatives from industry bodies, welfare organisations and all government jurisdictions. The S&Gs document will be finalised by the AWTG and progress to Australia’s agricultural ministers.

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