Key dates for saleyards and depots
1 January 2025
- Saleyards and depots must have the capability to read eIDs on all sheep and goats, record the movement of sheep and goats to the saleyard or depot PIC from the consignment PIC, and to the destination PIC after sale, in the NLIS database.
What you need to do to be eID ready
Key tasks
By January 2025
- Install all eID saleyard software and hardware in addition to completing any necessary infrastructure changes.
- Complete any required staff training on how to use all new eID equipment and software, provide software training and demonstrations where needed to ensure a smooth transition to the new eID system at processors.
- Conduct testing of eID scanning and recording capability before 1 January 2025 to identify and mitigate any issues.
From January 2025
- Start scanning and uploading NLIS movement records for individual sheep and goats fitted with eIDs from 1 January 2025.
From 1 January 2025, until 1 January 2027, sheep and goats with eIDs and those with visual tags will require slightly different management at saleyards. During this period, there will be two types of uploads to the NLIS database:
- Mob-Based uploads – between 1 January 2025 and 1 January 2027, movements to and from saleyards for sheep and goats identified with visual tags and/or eIDs will be uploaded on a mob-basis, by the saleyard office.
- Individual uploads – from 1 January 2025 any sheep and goats with eIDs will also need to be individually scanned, and their eID data uploaded to the NLIS database, by the saleyard office.
This transitional arrangement ensures that both types of uploads are effectively managed during this period. Visual tag and eID emergency identifiers must be ordered (through Local Land Services) and be available to attach to unidentified sheep or goats that arrive at the saleyard.
For missing NLIS tags:
- If the stock were born from 1 January 2025, use an NLIS emergency eID.
- If the stock were born before 1 January 2025 and did not come from Victoria, use an NLIS emergency visual tag or eID.
- If the stock were consigned from Victoria, use an NLIS emergency eID.
From January 2027
- All sheep and goats will have all movements recorded as individual uploads to the NLIS database.
Visual emergency identifiers will no longer be available.
Goat depot information
- Rangeland harvest goats will continue to have a tag free pathway if travelling direct to a processor or via one registered depot
- Commence scanning of goats from 1 Jan 2025
For goat depots that work exclusively with rangeland goats, there will be no changes to the NLIS tag requirements, as such, there are no rebates or management changes required.
Support available
For support on any of these steps, contact us at sheepgoateid@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
eID in Saleyards Online Q&A - March 2024
NSW DPI invited agents from Victoria to share their experiences with NSW agents and to answer questions about the logistics around eID use in large saleyards over video call. You can watch the recording here:eID in Saleyards Online Q&A with Victorian agents and saleyard operators
NLIS Support
For more information on how to complete NLIS transfers, visit the Integrity Systems Company Website
Sheep & Goat eID Infrastructure Rebate Scheme
$38 million has been allocated by the NSW Government to support the sheep and goat industry transition to mandatory eID. This includes the $7.2 million Australian Government contribution.
The NSW Sheep and Goat eID Infrastructure Rebate Scheme provides funding for the infrastructure relating to the implementation of mandatory sheep and goat eID within NSW. Saleyards can apply for reimbursement for the costs of eligible items.
Applications for the NSW Sheep and Goat eID Infrastructure Rebate Scheme were open from 1 August 2023 to 31 January 2024 for saleyards. Applications are now closed.
The NSW Government then committed a further $1.4 million to support eligible saleyards in their preparation for and implementation of sheep and goat eID.
For further details on the NSW Sheep and Goat eID Infrastructure Processors Rebate Scheme, visit the NSW Sheep and Goat eID Rebate Scheme page.
Upcoming events
To find out where our team will be delivering information about sheep and goat eID, visit our Upcoming Events page or sign up for our newsletter.
Contact us
If you have any questions you can contact us at sheepgoateid@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
Why is eID being implemented?
The NLIS (Sheep and Goats) mob-based system was fully implemented in mid-2010. The international markets we sell to now have higher traceability requirements, and the growing volume of international trade and travel has increased biosecurity risks to Australian livestock industries. Therefore, a more accurate and efficient traceability system for is required for sheep and goats.
The introduction of eID will provide more accurate and timely traceability of animals which will:
- Reduce time delays to manage an emergency disease or residue incident
- Enable more targeted response activities, reducing the number of livestock and producers impacted (including livestock destroyed)
- Reduce the time that Australia is restricted from export markets following an emergency disease or residue incident.
What is the benefit of having sheep and goat eID if there is a disease outbreak?
Implementing eID for sheep and goats offers significant advantages during a disease outbreak, particularly in terms of traceability and response efficiency due to:
- Enhanced Traceability:
The 2020 SAFEMEAT Traceability Evaluation Exercise showed that within 24 hours, 70% of sheep with visual tags could be traced back to their vendor or property of residence for the past 30 days. In contrast, nearly 100% of sheep with eIDs could be traced in the same timeframe. This demonstrates the superior accuracy and completeness of traceability with eID.
- Timely and Accurate Management:
While eID does not prevent exotic diseases or residue incidents, it significantly improves the ability to trace and manage affected livestock and their cohorts quickly. This allows for more effective and timely responses to outbreaks, which is critical for minimizing the spread of the disease and reducing its impact.
- Historical Lessons:
Events such as the UK Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in 2001, highlighted the importance of eID. The lack of individual sheep traceability at that time led to a seven-week tracing process, contributing to a widespread outbreak and a seven-year export market ban. By contrast, the implementation of eID in Victoria has demonstrated that tracing can now be completed in minutes instead of days, showcasing the substantial improvement in response efficiency.
eID enhances the ability to trace and manage livestock during a disease outbreak, leading to quicker and more effective responses, reduced impact, and protection of export markets.
Will the NLIS database be upgraded as part of eID implementation?
The Commonwealth Government announced $22.5 million for an upgrade of the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database. Integrity Systems Company will use this investment to develop a new database that has improved functionality, user-friendliness, analytics, reporting and cybersecurity. The new database will be developed independently to avoid impacting the functionality of the current database.
What will saleyards need to do?
From 1 January 2025, saleyards will be required to scan, record and report all sheep and goat eID devices moving into, and out of their facilities.
Many of the eID device scanners used in NSW saleyards are designed to scan eID devices as fast as the stock can move through them. This means that the time taken for pre-sale drafting and penning of sheep and goats will be minimally impacted.
For saleyards using software integrated with the eID readers, the process of completing NLIS uploads should become more accurate and efficient as the software provides a level of automation of this process.
What NLIS uploads will saleyards be required to do?
From 1 January 2025, until 1 January 2027, sheep and goats with eIDs and those with visual tags will require distinct handling at saleyards. During this period, there will be two types of uploads to the NLIS database:
- Mob-Based uploads - between 1 January 2025 and 1 January 2027, movements to and from saleyards for mobs of older sheep and goats identified with visual tags will be uploaded on a mob-basis, by the saleyard office.
- Individual uploads – additionally from 1 January 2025 any sheep and goats with eIDs will be individually scanned, and their individual eIDs uploaded to the NLIS database, by the saleyard office.
This transitional arrangement ensures that both types of uploads are effectively managed during this period. This does not result in a duplicate recording of movements in the NLIS database.
From 1 January 2027, only individual eID data will be uploaded.
Sheep or goats with eID devices that die or are humanely euthanised at a saleyard must have their eID scanned and reported individually to the NLIS database as deceased.
How will missing eID devices be managed in saleyards?
In NSW, all sheep and goats born from 1 January 2025 must be fitted with an eID before leaving their property of birth. All sheep and goats of any age must be fitted with an eID before leaving any property from 1 January 2027.
If sheep or goats are not compliant with this timeline and are missing eID devices at a saleyard, you should do the following:
- If there is a small number of stock in a consignment without eIDs, an emergency eID (with the saleyard PIC) can be fitted to each sheep or goat and the vendor charged for the cost of the eID plus attaching it.
- If an entire consignment of stock is not identified with eID devices:
- the stock cannot be sold and should be returned to the vendor, under permit
- the stock can be held until sufficient emergency eID devices can be obtained and attached, and then sold
- For missing NLIS tags:
- If the stock were born from 1 January 2025, use an NLIS emergency eID.
- If the stock were born before 1 January 2025 and did not come from Victoria, use an NLIS emergency visual tag or eID.
- If the stock were consigned from Victoria, use an NLIS emergency eID.
What will agents need to do differently at saleyards?
It is the responsibility of the saleyard operator to discuss with vendors and agents the role and responsibility changes associated with eID implementation.
Agents will be required to utilise eID readers supplied by saleyard operators to scan and record all sheep and goat eID devices and supply information to the saleyard operator before the sheep and goats leave the saleyard. This includes:
- date of sale
- sale lot number
- species
- number of head in each sale lot
- vendor’s PIC
- RFIDs of the sheep/goats in each lot
- serial number of the NLIS movement document.
The destination PIC provided by the buyer or the Agent’s PIC or Buyer code, must be given to the saleyard operator by the end of the sale, or sooner if required by the saleyard operator.
What will agents need to do differently for sheep and goat clients?
As agents are a trusted source of information, selling and purchasing livestock for their clients, agents are strongly encouraged to become familiar with eID requirements for producers and themselves. More detailed information, training and details of specialist support is available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/eid.
When operating for a client outside of a saleyard, it is not the responsibility of livestock agents to purchase, apply, or scan eID devices for their clients, or to complete any NLIS transfers on their clients’ behalf. However, agents may do this if arranged with the client, especially for recording of sheep and goats’ movements onto their clients’ PICs after buying stock privately or online, eg. via Auctions Plus.