By January 2024

• Provide input into the design of saleyards to accommodate the incoming eID system for sheep and goats.
• Work with saleyard operators on the choice of software that agents and saleyards will use.

By January 2025

• Attend eID software and hardware training and demonstrations.
• Update knowledge, skills and understanding to smoothly implement the eID system for sheep and goats at saleyards and other sites where sheep and goat auctions and sales are held.
• Refresh understanding of current NLIS requirements and how moving to an eID system for sheep and goats will work.
• Be competent in completing NLIS property to property transfers for mobs and individual animals, and able to assist livestock owners to complete transfers on request.

From January 2025

• Ensure that sheep and goats that you sell or purchase on behalf of clients are correctly identified with NLIS accredited eID as per the implementation timeline.

For support on what you need to do, 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

NLIS database user guide for saleyards and agents

For more information about NLIS requirements for sheep and goats in NSW visit the NSW DPI NLIS Sheep and goats page.

For more information on how to complete NLIS transfers, or to find a current list of accredited NLIS tags, visit the Integrity Systems Company Website.

Agents should be aware of all aspects of sheep and goat eID that impact livestock owners to best support their clients. For further details, please visit Livestock Owners.

Sheep and farmed goats that are not appropriately tagged are not allowed to move according to NSW legislation. As an agent, you may support clients by informing them of their eID tagging responsibilities and where NLIS accredited tags can be purchased from before the stock can be moved.

An agent might be committing an offence if they sell, offer, assist, or attempt to sell sheep and goats that are not correctly identified or if the required information has not been provided.

As an agent, you may be requested to scan individual animals and complete NLIS transfers to facilitate the purchase and sale of stock for producers. To do this, it is recommended that you have a suitable RFID reader, and appropriate software to download the RFID numbers for completion of NLIS transfers. Note: it is not a requirement for agents to complete NLIS transfers, but an agent can do this on behalf of a producer if the producer has arranged for the agent to do so.

NLIS stock agent NSW quick guide

Integrity Systems Company resources for agents

In NSW, all sheep and farmed goats born from 1 January 2025 must be fitted with an eID before leaving their property of birth. All sheep and farmed goats of any age must be fitted with an eID before leaving a property from 1 January 2027.

If purchasing or selling sheep or farmed goats on behalf of a client, it is recommended that you check for missing or damaged tags and work with the seller to tag any animals missing a tag before they leave the property. Sheep or goats arriving at a new property that are missing tags or have damaged tags can be fitted with post-breeder tags with the PIC of the property they have been moved to. If sheep or farmed goats arrive at a saleyard or depot non-compliant with this timeline:

• If there is a small number of stock in a consignment without an eID, an emergency eID can be fitted, and the vendor charged for the cost of the eID.
• If an entire consignment of stock is not identified with eIDs:
  • the stock can be returned to the vendor
  • the stock can be held until sufficient emergency tags can be obtained and attached

Agents are not required to complete NLIS transfers for clients, however, this can be done if it is agreed between agent and client in advance of the livestock movement that the agent will complete the NLIS transfer on behalf of the client. It is normally the responsibility of the receiver of the livestock to complete the NLIS transfer, unless the livestock are being moved from a saleyard, in which case the saleyard will complete the transfer.