ACT Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

ACT Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

Terms of Reference

Functions of the Committee

A statutory body called the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) is established under the Animal Welfare Act 1992 as a Ministerial advisory committee representing community views on animal welfare in the ACT.

The AWAC is to facilitate the development of a balanced and coordinated approach to animal welfare matters and to provide advice to the Minister on animal welfare issues.

The specific functions of the Committee will be:

a) to advise the Minister on any matter relating to existing or proposed legislation affecting the welfare of animals;

b) to investigate and advise the Minister on any matter, policy or practice affecting the welfare of animals;

c) to participate, in conjunction with the Animal Welfare Unit, in the development of codes of practice relating to animals and their welfare and to review and recommend existing codes where appropriate;

d) to provide advice to government and non-government bodies on programs to improve community awareness about animals and their humane treatment; and

e) to provide the Department with a copy of the Minutes of each AWAC meeting and to report annually to the Minister on the activities and achievements of the Committee.

Committee Membership

The membership of the AWAC will be representative of the major interests in animals and animal welfare in the ACT.

Initial appointments should be split, with half the Committee appointed for a three years period and half the Committee appointed for an eighteen month period. Subsequent appointments can be made for a maximum of three years.

New appointments to the Committee are by Disallowable Instrument signed by the Minister, approved by Cabinet and referred to a Legislative Assembly Standing Committee.

The membership of the Committee will include but not be limited to the following:

a) a chairperson who is not associated with any animal welfare group or animal user group;

b) a person employed by the ACT Government who is an ‘Authorised Officer’ under the Animal Welfare Act 1992.

c) a person nominated by the RSPCA;

d) a person nominated by the Australian Veterinary Association;

e) a person nominated by the Rural Lessees Association;

f) a person with experience in teaching and research activities involving animals;

g) a person nominated by a community based organisation involved in animal welfare other than the RSPCA;

h) a person nominated by a community based organisation involved in native wildlife matters;

i) a person engaged in the commercial use of companion animals;

j) a person with experience in the recreational and sporting use of animals; and

k) a person nominated by the government body with responsibility for wildlife and/or feral animal matters in the ACT.

A Deputy Chairperson should be nominated from the Committee’s membership and decided by a vote of the Committee. In the Chairperson absence, the Deputy Chairperson may convene and conduct meetings.

The term of each appointment will be for a period not exceeding 3 years. Individual representatives may be reappointed.

Resignation and Termination of Membership

Provision will be made for members to resign from the committee.

The Minister will be able to terminate the membership of an appointee on grounds of physical or mental incapacity and will be obliged to do so if:

a) the member becomes bankrupt;

b) the member is absent from three consecutive meetings without leave of the Chairperson;

c) the member is convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment for twelve months or greater; or

d) the Minister has reasonable grounds for believing that the member has ceased to be a member of the kind referred to above, or has lost the confidence of, or no longer represents, the membership he or she was appointed to represent.

Committee Meetings

Committee meetings should be held approximately every month with no requirement to meet in December and January of each year.

The Committees deliberations, information received by it and recommendations made to the Minister will be treated at all times as confidential. All non government committee members must sign the Deed of Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest prior to commencing duty. A Member wishing to gain further advice on a particular issue from their nominating organisation must gain the prior recorded approval of the Chairperson. Public access to information under normal Freedom of Information procedures is available and will not be limited by this provision.

A quorum for a meeting is at least one half of the number of members appointed to the AWAC, either the Chairperson or the Deputy Chairperson must be present to convene the meeting.

The Chairperson has a casting as well as deliberative vote. In the Chairpersons absents the Deputy Chair has a casting as well as a deliberative vote.

Formation of Subcommittees

The Committee will have the power to establish subcommittees to address issues of specific concern.

The membership of a subcommittee will be determined by the Committee with the Chairperson of the subcommittee being a member of the Committee.

The recommendations of a subcommittee must be endorsed by the Committee before being accepted as recommendations of the AWAC.

Subcommittees must be dissolved upon completion of the assigned task.

Secretariat to the Committee

The Animal Welfare Unit of the Department of Territory and Municipal Services ACT will perform a secretariat function for the Committee.

Other Operations

The operation of the Committee other than detailed above will be conducted in a manner as determined by the Committee.