Livestock management

Australia uses the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) to identify and trace cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs (through the PigPass database).

The NLIS ensures high standards for Australia's export market and food safety. It also helps if there is an emergency outbreak of animal disease. The NLIS traces livestock movements and identifies the potential spread pattern of the disease.

The NLIS is based on 3 elements:

1. Livestock are identified by a permanent identifier, either a visual or electronic tag.
2. Identification of the physical location of the animal using a Property Identification Code (PIC).
3. Livestock location data and movements are recorded in a central database.

All cattle, sheep and goats must:

• be identified with an approved NLIS tag
• be held on a property with a PIC
• have their movements to sale, slaughter or to any other property recorded in the NLIS database.

It is mandatory to comply with NLIS requirements in the ACT under the Biosecurity (National Livestock Identification System) Regulation 2025. Penalties apply to those who don't follow these requirements.

National Vendor Declarations (NVD) are legal documents that outline the food safety and treatment status of animals. It records every time an animal moves between properties, to sale yards or processors.

To access NVDs, you need to:

• have a PIC
• be accredited with Livestock Production Assurance (LPA).

Once LPA accredited, you'll be able to access NVDs and eNVDs.

Livestock welfare is implemented under the Animal Welfare (Land Transport of Livestock) Mandatory Code of Practice 2018 (No 1).

When livestock is moved from one place to another, multiple people are responsible for them, including:

• the producer
• the transporter
• the receiver, such as an agent, sale yard, or processor.

The person in charge at each point is responsible for the animals' welfare. This includes reducing the risk to their welfare.

Before they're moved, each animal needs to be checked to make sure they're healthy enough for the journey.

Find out if your livestock are fit to load.

If you are moving stock during an emergency, you will be required to provide the following information within two working days after the day the stock is moved:

• the date the stock was moved;
• the number and species of stock moved;
• the property identification code of the property from where the stock was moved; and,
• either –
  • the property identification code of the property to where the stock was moved; or,
  • if the property identification code is not known or not readily available – the address to where the stock was moved and the name of the person who received the stock.

Please email this information to ACTBiosecurity@act.gov.au.

If your livestock shows signs of sickness, or has an infectious disease, you must do the following:

• Isolate the affected animal/s and consult with a veterinarian as soon as possible. Early detection and reporting can help prevent or contain an emergency disease outbreak.
• Use full, correctly fitted, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when handling a sick animal. You should always keep a PPE kit on hand.
• Don't touch other animals after handling a sick animal. If this isn't possible, make sure you handle the sick animal last. Then wash your hands thoroughly, change your clothes, and disinfect your boots before going near any other animals.
• Keep gear such as rugs, halters, lead ropes, feed bins, and grooming brushes separate and use them only for the sick animal.

Disinfect any gear used on a sick animal before using on others.

If you suspect your livestock has an infectious disease, contact a veterinarian as soon as possible.

If you suspect your livestock has a disease that is listed as a notifiable biosecurity matter, call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or contact ACT Biosecurity by emailing ACTBiosecurity@act.gov.au or calling Access Canberra on 13 22 81.

The Biosecurity (Notifiable and Prohibited Biosecurity Matter) Declaration 2025 lists notifiable biosecurity matter.

There will soon be mandatory individual electronic identification (eID) for sheep and goats across Australia.

The ACT implementation plan is aligned with New South Wales. This will help ACT farmers meet requirements of NSW sale yards and processors.

ACT timeline for implementation

By 1 January 2025

• Mandatory eID for all sheep and farmed goats born from this date, prior to leaving property of birth.
• Mandatory eID property to property transfers.

By 1 January 2027

• Mandatory eID for all sheep and farmed goats prior to leaving any property.

Find out more about sheep and goat eID in NSW.

Protecting your horse and their health is vital to prevent the negative impacts of pests and diseases.

You can promote good biosecurity by ensuring you:

• don't introduce new arrivals which are infected with, or carrying, diseases
• minimise their direct contact with other horses if they're at competitions or events
• don't share equipment, gear or feed at events
• check materials and equipment for pests such as ticks when you enter or leave a property
• have an action plan if your horse gets infected.

Your responsibilities as a horse owner

If you own or care for horses, you must understand the laws around managing horses in the ACT. You'll need to know how to care for your horse, including in emergency situations.

You must follow the ACT's biosecurity legislation and regulations. This means you must:

• have a Property Identification Code (PIC) for any property with horses
• report any suspected or confirmed high risk and priority diseases, also known as ‘notifiable diseases’.

The Animal Welfare Act 1992 promotes the welfare of horses in the ACT. Under the laws, horse owners must provide them with:

• food
• water
• treatment for illness, disease or injury
• shelter or accommodation, a clean and hygienic living environment
• grooming and maintenance
• exercise
• care for the animal’s wellbeing.

Learn more about proper care and use of horses from the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Pigs as pets

Pigs are intelligent and social creatures and are sometimes kept as pets. You must consider ACT's welfare legislation before you keep a pig as a pet.

Under the ACT’s animal welfare legislation, pigs must be kept in accommodation that allows the pig to:

• turn around, stand up and lie down without difficulty
• have a clean, comfortable and adequately drained place where it can lie down
• maintain a comfortable temperature
• have outdoor access.

You must have a Property Identification Code (PIC) if you have a pet pig, even if they're in an urban location.

Don't be surprised if your 'miniature' piglet grows into a large adult pig. There are no genuine miniature pig varieties in Australia. This is because it's prohibited to import recognised miniature pig breeds such as the Pot-bellied Pig and Kunekune.

Adult pigs can be difficult to manage, especially in residential settings. If they’re not managed properly, it may lead to nuisance complaints from neighbours.

Before keeping a pig as a pet, learn more about what you need to properly care for a pig on the RSPCA Knowledge Base.

What you can't feed pigs

Under the Biosecurity Regulation 2025 you cannot feed your pig any material that contains, or has contact with, a mammal or a mammal product; but does not include the following:

• Australian dairy and dairy products legally imported for stockfeed
• tallow
• used cooking oil

More about swill feed

It's illegal to feed pigs "swill feed". Swill feed is waste food fed to pigs, often as a slurry. This type of feed contains meat, or a product that has encountered meat or meat products.

Swill feed includes:

• processed foods such as pies, sausage rolls, bacon and cheese rolls, pizza, salami and other delicatessen meats or table scraps
• household, commercial or industrial waste including restaurant food and discarded cooking oils
• anything that has been in contact with prohibited pig feed via collection, storage or transport in contaminated containers, such as meat trays and take-away food containers.

Swill feed is illegal as it increases the risk of introduced exotic animal disease. You cannot feed any prohibited pig feed to your pigs, whether they are kept as pets or intended for consumption. You must also ensure your pigs don't have accidental access to prohibited pig feed.

Leftover food that can't be given to pigs as feed should be discarded carefully so that pigs cannot eat it accidentally.

If in doubt about what to feed a pig, quality-assured, commercially available pig feed is a safe option.

If you suspect pigs are being fed prohibited pig feed, contact ACT Biosecurity by emailing ACTBiosecurity@act.gov.au or calling Access Canberra on 13 22 81.

Recording pig movements

All pigs, including pets, must be identified before they're moved.

Pigs moving between properties with different Property Identification Codes (PICs) must be recorded on the PigPass database within 2 days of arriving at the new property. This includes:

• pet pigs
• pigs being given away
• pigs traded on online selling platforms such as Gumtree.

You must register with PigPass to access a PigPass National Vendor Declaration (NVD) and to record the movement of pigs on the PigPass database.

More information

• Australian Pork Limited swill feed factsheet
• Animal Health Australia’s Prohibited Pig Feed Compliance and Awareness Project