New Zealands Minister of Biosecurity David Carter announced recently that parliament
had thrown its unanimous support behind the first reading of the National Animal Identification and Tracing Bill.
The new Bill will ultimately provide the legal framework for the big brother legislation of the livestock world in New Zealand laws. The new law, once finally passed in 2011 will allow collection of information on livestock, where they are located and will also allow their movement throughout their lifetime to be tracked. In addition, the bill will set out the governance and powers of the new organisation.
When asked to comment on the new bill, which will be the most radical of new laws in this area for some years, Mr Carter was quoted as saying.
The NAIT scheme will protect farmers in the international marketplace and strengthen our already excellent biosecurity system, Biosecurity Minister David Carter said in introducing the bill.
With other agricultural producing nations increasingly moving to mandatory computerised tracing of individual animals, New Zealand cannot afford to lag behind.
Once passed into law the bill will see all livestock able to be tagged with radio frequency devices and will provide for people in charge of animals and their location to be registered. Under the draft legislation reports will also be logged when animals change locations.
The new bill is the culmination of the efforts of many people in the livestock and animal products industries who have combined to help develop the NAIT scheme. Mr Carter paid tribute to all who had given their time to get the new bill to this stage.
NAIT is a partnership between industry and the Crown which started in 2004 in recognition of the growing need for better animal identification and tracing systems. Key primary sector industries are fully supportive of the scheme.
The Bill has been referred to the Primary Production Select Committee. The new Bill would usually be expected to pass into new law at some stage during 2011 and ultimately be become part of the rich tapestry of New Zealand laws.
Before a bill can become new law in New Zealand it must be referred to the relevant select committee for submissions form the public and then returns to the house for its second reading.
The next step is for the bill to be further discussed in the committee of the whole house of parliament during which time further changes can be discussed and agreed upon. A new bill will then have to pass its third reading for being submitted for royal assent.