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It is hoped that a charter covering livestock transport will include the design of loading facilities, along with the condition of animals picked up from farms.
NEW CHARTER FOR LIVESTOCK TRANSPORT L by Nick Leggett Chief Executive
TD32446
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
IVESTOCK TRANSPORT HAS ALWAYS been a hard business. The work is stressful, the animal welfare responsibilities huge and the margins often very tight. Traditionally, livestock operators have also had the thin end of the wedge when it comes to the chain of responsibility – much of it falling on the poor old truckie. Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is seeking to change this situation and is working through our sector group, the National Livestock Transport & Safety Group, to spread the load across the whole supply chain and address some of the key challenges and risks faced by operators. The proposal, which the industry has spent the last yearor-so formulating, is for a charter that would identify that each stage of the supply chain needs to take responsibility for the safe and efficient transportation of livestock.
Far too much responsibility currently lies with transporters. What we are seeking is for each business to recognise that what they ask their customers to do, the rates they pay, and the conditions they set, have a direct impact on the safety and performance of other parts of the chain. Long hours, stress, hard working conditions, animal welfare, traditionally poor rates of pay and low margins are all issues we want the charter to address. We also want to see timely and accurate communications, better pickup and drop-off facilities, and more obligations as to the condition of animals before they get on the truck. A lot of background work has already been completed by the National Livestock Transport & Safety Group and I am really encouraged by the number of stakeholders that are keen to be involved. These include farmer representatives, meat processing companies, stock agents and the regulators (Ministry for Primary Industries, Waka Kotahi NZ Truck & Driver | 43
