Fact Sheet
NLISforCattleProducerswithSmallHoldings
TheNationalLivestockIdentificationSystem(NLIS)wasintroducedtoproviderapidandaccuratetracingof livestockmovementsacrossallstatesandterritoriesinAustraliaforthepurposeofunderpinningconsumer and market confidence inthe safety andintegrityofAustralianlivestockandlivestockproducts.
TheNTidentificationandtracingsystemforcattleincludes:
•Compulsory registration of all cattle holdingswitha PIC.
•Mandatory branding of cattle over the age of8 months.
•MandatoryuseofNLISdevicesandtransactionrecordingtotheNLISdatabaseforcattlemoving property to property.
•Mandatory documentationof movements through waybills.
Allcattleproducers should familiarisethemselves withNLIS.NLIS packagesweredistributed toallproperties witharegisteredPropertyIdentificationCode(PIC).
Howdoesthesystemwork?
TheNLISincattleusesradiofrequencyidentificationdevices(RFIDs),alsoknownasNLISdevicesortags andanationaldatabasetorecordindividualanimalmovements.Thedatabaseenablesproducerstomonitor andrecordindividualanimalmovementsontoandofftheirproperty.Itcanalsobeusedasamanagement
tool.
NLISdevicesdisplaythepropertyPIConthefrontofthetag,andcontainamicrochipwiththeRFIDnumber inside the tag. Thereare two types of tags:
•Breedertagsare whitein colourand areusedto permanentlyidentifycattle beforetheyleavetheirpropertyofbirth.Thesetagsshouldonlybeapplied tocattlewhicharebornonthepropertytheyareleaving.
•Post-breedertagsareorangeincolourandareusedtopermanently identify introduced cattle that werenot born on theproperty.
Cattleonlyneedtobeidentifiedonce,eitherwithabreederorpost-breedertag.Ifpurchasedcattleare alreadyidentifiedwithaRFID,itmustnotberemoved,andasecondtagmustnotbeattached.Thetags cannotbere-used.Tagsmustbeattachedtothemiddlesectionoftheright(offside)ear.Thetagisissued for application on one property only and cannot be applied tocattle on anotherproperty. NLIS devicescan be orderedthroughyourlocalstockandstationagent.
NLISreadersareusedtoelectronicallyreadtheRFIDnumbersoneachNLISdevice.Therearetwotypesof readers:
•Handheldreadersact in thesameway as a racereader,butgenerallyarenotasfastat recording.Hand heldreaders are more portableandcostless.Thistypeofreaderis suitable for small mobs of cattle.
•Racereadersareattachedtotherailsinthe race or crush and provide automated recording.Ascattlewalkbythereader,they activatethe microchipinthetagwhichis captured by the reader.
Whatdocattleproducersneedtodo?
Whensendingcattleofftheproperty:
1.Ensure property is registered witha PIC.
2.Purchasebreederandpost-breederdevices andapplicator.
3.Apply NLIS devices tocattle before theyleave the property.
Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries
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Whenreceivingcattleontotheproperty:
1.ItistheresponsibilityoftheownerofthepropertyreceivingcattletoensureNLISdevicesarereadwith an NLIS reader and that RFID numbersare sent to the nationalNLIS database.
2.RegisterauseraccountwiththeNLISdatabaseat Select‘createanewaccount’.
Producersmusthaveaproperty identificationcode(PIC)priortocreatinganewaccount.
3.ObtainaNLISreaderoruseathird-partyprovidertoreadRFIDnumbers,anduploadRFIDnumbersto the NLIS database within48 hours of cattle moving.
What cattledon’trequireRFIDs?
Onlycattlewhich aremovingfromtheir propertyofbirthdirectlytotheDarwinWharfwill notrequirean RFID. ThesecattlemaybeconsignedtoanAustralianQuarantineInspectionService(AQIS)registeredexport premise to complete export treatment protocolsen route to the wharf.
Waybills
WaybillsprovidedetailedinformationoflivestockmovementintheNT,andmustbecompletedwhenever livestockaremovedoutsidetheboundariesofaproperty.Thewaybillsystemalsoactsasadeterrentto stocktheft,providescertificationofthepropertyoforiginforsaleyards,abattoirsandexportersandprovides
detaileddocumentation formanagement.
ItiscompulsorytousewaybillsundertheLivestockAct.Tomaintainefficientoperation,itisextremely importantthattheinformationcompletedonthewaybillsisaccurateandcomplete.Waybillinformationis recordedontheNTWaybilldatabase.
•Theoriginal(white)copyofthewaybillshouldaccompanystocktothe destination.
•The duplicate (pink) copy should be sent to the Regional Livestock BiosecurityOfficer (RLBO)within 28 days of movement.
•Thetriplicate(green)copyshouldremaininthebookatthepropertyof origin.
FurtherinformationonLivestockIdentificationandMovementisavailableatyourPrimaryIndustryofficeor onthewebsite
PrincipalLivestockRegulatoryOfficer(PLRO) andRegistrar
Sharon KearneyPhone:088999 2031Fax:08 89992024
E-mail: Website:
Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries
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Darwin RegionFax:08 89992146 Regional Livestock BiosecurityOfficer (RLBO)
Ph:08 8999 2030M: 0439 270 039
Livestock BiosecurityOfficer (LBO)
Ph:08 8999 2034M: 0401 115 802
Tennant Creek RegionFax: 08 89624480 Regional Livestock BiosecurityOfficer (RLBO)
Ph:08 8962 4490Sat: 0145 117 050
Livestock BiosecurityOfficer (LBO)
Ph:08 8962 4458M: 0401 113 445
Ph:08 8962 4492M: 0457 517 347
Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries
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Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries
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Katherine RegionFax:08 89739759 Regional Livestock BiosecurityOfficer (RLBO)
Ph:08 8973 9754M: 0418 895 084
Livestock BiosecurityOfficer (LBO)
Ph:08 8973 9765M: 0427 604 002
AliceSpringsRegionFax:08 89518123 Senior Field VeterinaryOfficer (SFVO)
Ph:08 8951 8181M: 0401 118 181
Regional Livestock BiosecurityOfficer (RLBO)
Ph:08 8951 8125M: 0401 118 125
Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries
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Animal BiosecurityBranch-
NTPropertyIdentificationCode(PIC)SearchDatabase-
NTBrandsRegisterSearchDatabase-
Disclaimer:Whileallcarehasbeentakentoensurethatinformationcontainedinthisdocumentistrueandcorrectatthetimeofpublication,theNorthernTerritoryofAustraliagivesno warrantyorassurance,andmakesnorepresentationastotheaccuracyofanyinformationoradvicecontainedinthispublication,orthatitissuitableforyourintendeduse.Noserious,businessorinvestmentdecisionsshouldbemadeinrelianceonthisinformationwithoutobtainingindependentand/orprofessionaladviceinrelationtoyourparticularsituation.
Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries
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