NSW Health Certification for the export of livestock and other animals
Information on exporting live animals from Australia can be found on the Agriculture website's, Exporting from Australia. The MICoR website lists importing country requirements (ICRs) for the various species and also for semen and embryos. You should always check with the exporter for current requirements.
Health certification
Health certification is usually required before animals or animal products are eligible for export. This may involve certification that the property of origin is free from certain diseases, or inspection of the animals to determine their health status, or both. Usually the exporter will provide the ICRs to the relevant inspector so that the necessary health certification can be obtained. The ICRs should be provided at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the proposed shipment date, in case there are any unforeseen problems that need to be resolved.
Certification of property freedom from notifiable diseases
There is a legal obligation on owners or other persons involved with animals to notify the presence of certain diseases in NSW. These are called notifiable diseases. A list of these diseases can be found in the Primefact Notifiable Animal Diseases in NSW .
Certification of property freedom from notifiable diseases may be carried out by State Government and Local Land Services staff who are gazetted as inspectors under animal health legislation. Inspectors have access to the required declaration forms for each species.
Certification of property freedom from non-notifiable diseases
If the importing country requires certification for a disease that is not notifiable under NSW legislation, the owner is responsible for making a declaration of property freedom.
A declaration form for non-notifiable diseases (PDF, 10.4 KB) is provided here for your convenience. This is not a government form. It simply provides suitable wording if you need to make a declaration. You are free to write out your own declaration, if you prefer.
Note: This declaration is a legal document and must be completed accurately. If you have not heard of the disease, or are unsure if it has occurred on your property, contact your private veterinary practitioner. An additional statement from your vet may be attached to your own declaration.
Certifying the health of individual animals
State authorities usually do not make property visits for certification purposes, or examine individual animals for export. Certification is based on animal health and property records held in their offices. (The exception is site inspections for bee exports, and occasionally for poultry.) Officers will normally inspect the animals when they are assembled for export, and provide any certification required on the health status of the animals themselves.
NSW contacts for obtaining health certification for notifiable diseases
Livestock
In NSW, Local Land Services hold the records relating to stock on individual properties, and therefore provide most of the property-of-origin health declarations for cattle, sheep, goats, alpaca etc. See the Livestock Health and Pest Districts map at Local Land Services to find out which district the livestock are located in.
Horses
NSW Horse Health Coordinator
Dr Jane Bennett
Email: animal.export@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 0458 527 712
Poultry and cage birds
NSW Avian Health Coordinator
E-mail: amanda.black@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Phone: (02) 4640 6308
Bees
NSW Biosecurity Helpline
Email: quarantine@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 1800 680 244
Other animals
State authorities are seldom involved in the export of companion or zoo animals, or other species. For further information visit Agriculture website's, Exporting from Australia.
