Animal welfare
Mr MEDDICK (Western Victoria) (12:40): My question is for the Minister for Agriculture in the other place. We are in our second week of winter and already temperatures have dropped to below 4 degrees in my electorate. Rain, hail and icy winds are expected for the next two months. Whilst for us this can be uncomfortable, for animals in paddocks without shelter it is life threatening. Industry figures estimate 10 to 15 million lambs die annually across the country during winter lambing, most within the first 48 hours of life, from starvation, neglect and exposure to the elements. Downed ewe mothers and their struggling bubs attract predator species, which leads to further death and destruction. Can the minister advise why lambs are born in the coldest months of the year?
Members interjecting.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Can we have some quiet please? Can we please have some quiet? Minister Tierney, you are Western Victoria, aren’t you? You might actually know about lambs. You might all learn a thing or two, so can we please have some quiet while we hear her answer.
Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:41): I thank the member for his question. Indeed I have witnessed many, many new lambs in many paddocks across Western Victoria in the last couple of weeks. But I have got to say, Mr Meddick, this almost takes the cake in terms of a question in question time, and I am quite happy to refer this to the Minister for Agriculture for her to highlight what might be an answer to your question.
Mr MEDDICK (Western Victoria) (12:42): Thank you, Minister, for doing that. My supplementary is that existing provisions under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 make it an offence for an owner or person in charge of livestock to not provide proper and sufficient shelter, but codes of practice made under POCTA provide examples of shade that include trees and fence lines. With the winter death toll of lambs reaching 15 million per year, does the minister acknowledge that fence lines in paddocks do not provide sufficient warmth for newborn and often orphaned lambs?
Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:42): Again I thank Mr Meddick for his question, and again I will refer this to the Minister for Agriculture as per the standing orders.