Brands Act Amendment Act 1982

3328  4 March 1982  LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Second Reading

Received from the House of Assembly and read a first time.

The Hon. K. T. GRIFFIN (Attorney-General): I move:

That this Bill be now read a second time.

It amends the Brands Act on a number of different subjects. Presently the principal Act provides that livestock are not to be branded except with a brand approved by the registrar. The primary purpose of such branding is to facilitate the ready identification of an animal's owner. However, the Bill proposes an amendment to the Act which will enable the State's horse racing authorities and approved breed societies to require their respective members' stock to be branded in accordance with the appropriate registration rules of the authority or society.

Such a brand will be for the express purpose of identifying the animal rather than its owner. The amendment originates from a longstanding request by the Australian Trotting Council and, more recently, the South Australian Trotting Control Board to allow the trotting industry in this State to introduce the 'alpha angle' system of branding for animal identification purposes. The amendment will also permit approved breed societies to brand stud stock according to society specifications. Such branding will accord societies a higher degree of protection in maintaining stock blood lines.

Due to the progress of the national eradication of bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, it is intended that all cattle moving from tuberculosis and disease infected properties be permanently identified. The Bill provides for the use of appropriate distinctive brands. The Bill will also enable departmental officers or an authorised officer of a breed society to brand cattle indicating that such cattle have undergone a herd test as, for example, is required by the Angus Breeds Society in relation to mannosidosis.

The Australian Wool Corporation and all organisations of coloured sheep breeders have unanimously agreed that a standard ear mark to identify heterozygous sheep should be adopted. This will enable responsible breeders to identify sheep for sale which are heterozygous so that a buyer may be warned of the risks in their use. The Bill also contains a number of minor amendments removing references to the defunct livestock division of the department and updating the definition of 'disease' so that it accords with the present definition of the Stock Diseases Act.

I seek leave to have the explanation of the clauses inserted in Hansard without my reading it.

Leave granted.

Explanation of Clauses

Clauses 1, 2 and 3 are formal. Clause 4 provides that where an animal is registered with an approved authority the owner may brand the animal with a brand which has been approved by the authority and in a position and manner approved by the authority. Where an authority is approved for the purposes of the new provision it is required to keep records of approved brands and is required to allow the registrar to examine and make copies of or take extracts from those records. Clause 5 provides that a sheep that carries the colour pattern gene may be earmarked with the distinctive earmark identifying it as such a sheep.

Clause 6 amends section 62 of the principal Act. This section relates to the branding of diseased stock. The amendment expands the form of the brand that may be used in relation to such stock and provides that the brand may be either a fire brand, a freeze brand or an acid brand. Clause 7 amends section 63 of the principal Act by removing the reference to the body known as the Advisory Committee for the Improvement of Dairying. Clause 8 is a consequential amendment.

The Hon. FRANK BLEVINS secured the adjournment of the debate.