Temporary removal of animals from fixed exhibits

As a licensed fixed exhibitor under the Exhibited Animals Protection Regulation 2010, you must apply to temporarily remove animals from your authorised premises (fixed or associated off-display establishment).

There are two ways to do this:

• Complete Form H – Application to remove an animal from authorised premises each time you want to temporarily remove an animal. This application must be submitted to the Department at least seven days before the proposed removal.
• Seek approval for multiple temporary removals in accordance with an approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). These applications must be submitted 60 days in advance.

Clause 8 the Exhibited Animals Protection Regulation 2010 requires all exhibitors to comply with relevant standards. For this purpose, the following standards relate to fixed exhibitors who remove animals from their fixed display  establishment or their associated off-display establishment.

• Standards for Exhibiting Animals during Temporary Removals in New South Wales

Preparing and submitting a Standard Operating Procedure

To reduce red-tape, NSW DPI can approve a licensee to conduct multiple temporary removals in accordance with approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

An SOP is a set of written instructions that document a routine or repetitive activity followed by an exhibitor. SOPs describe what you will do and how you will do it .

An exhibitor with an approved SOP can temporarily remove animals as required without seeking and waiting for approval each time. This means less paperwork and more flexibility to respond to business opportunities quickly. .

SOPs:

• provide a process for staff to follow, reducing variation and promoting quality
• minimise opportunities for miscommunication
• can address safety and animal welfare concerns more thoroughly than one-off approvals.
• provide NSW DPI with assurances around the way your business operates.

Applying for an SOP for temporary removal

All Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Temporary Removals must be accompanied by a Form H – Application to remove an animal from authorised premises

1. Prepare an SOP for each species. Occasionally there may be circumstances that justify grouping of species. Justification  must be provided within the SOP.
2. Submit a copy of each SOP with a completed FORM H - Application to remove an animal from authorised premises.
3. Submit each SOP and FORM H to: exhibited.animals@dpi.nsw.gov.au
4. Given the detailed nature of assessing SOPs, please allow 60 days for NSW DPI to assess your SOP.

Fixed exhibitors who temporarily move animals under an SOP approval must still:

• submit a monthly itinerary for each species (FORM I – Monthly Itinerary) AND
• update any monthly itinerary if new temporary removals are proposed for that period.

A temporary removal approval based on an approved SOP is valid until the end of the licensing year (30 June) in which it takes effect. An application to renew such a temporary removal approval can be submitted at licence renewal time and, if approved, will apply for the whole of the following licensing year, commencing 1 July.

The Department must be notified within 7 days of any revisions to an approved SOP. These changes will be assessed and updated on the  authority holder's certificate once approved.

The licensee may not conduct temporary removals using the revised SOP until the Department amends the conditions of the licensee’s temporary removal approval to refer to the revised SOP.

Preparing your SOP

When preparing your SOP, you should provide as much information as possible on how you will temporarily remove an exhibited animal.

Pay particular attention to how you will manage animal welfare and human safety risks. The more information you provide, the faster we will be able to assess your application.

Note that only species with similar requirements should be included within an SOP.

The information below is a guide for what is expected in an SOP.

Questions and answers