Explore Our Plan
- Independent Office of Animal Welfare
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Animal welfare in Australia is undermined by industry self-regulation and government departments prioritising profits over care.
An Independent Office of Animal Welfare is essential to ensure meaningful improvements and national oversight of animal welfare laws and policies.
The Greens' plan:
- Improve animal welfare nationwide by establishing an Independent Office of Animal Welfare, funded with $15 million annually.
- Enhance national animal welfare standards by empowering the Office to coordinate with State and Territory governments, develop federal laws, and implement a renewed Animal Welfare Strategy.
- National Animal Welfare Laws
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Every day, countless animals suffer due to weak and inconsistent laws that prioritise profit over compassion.
National animal welfare laws are critical to hold industries and individuals accountable and ensure animals are treated with respect and care.
The Greens' plan:
- Protect animals from cruelty by enacting strong, enforceable national laws to ensure their welfare.
- Prevent exploitation by regulating harmful practices such as factory farming, live animal export, and kangaroo culling.
- Ensure consistent protections by covering animals in international agreements and those on Commonwealth land under unified standards.
- Legislate Animal Sentience
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Animals are sentient beings capable of experiencing positive and negative mental states, but Australian law still treats them as property.
Recognising animal sentience in law is essential to guide stronger animal welfare protections and reflect their intrinsic value.
The Greens' plan:
- Strengthen animal welfare protections by legislating the principle of animal sentience in national law.
- Ensure animals are treated with respect by requiring that their welfare is considered in legislative development and amendments based on the UK’s Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act.
- Ban Live Export
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The live export industry subjects animals to horrific suffering and deaths, and countless attempts to reform the practice have failed to keep animals safe.
The Greens are working to end this cruel trade entirely while supporting a just transition for workers in the industry.
The Greens' plan:
- Work towards an earlier end to the live export industry, currently scheduled to be banned from May 2028.
- Ensure a just transition for workers affected by the ban on live exports.
- End Commercial Horse Racing
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Commercial horse racing is cruel, deadly, and incompatible with animal welfare, prioritising gambling profits over the wellbeing of horses.
The Greens are committed to ending this inhumane industry and supporting communities by transitioning to new jobs and uses for racetracks.
The Greens' plan:
- Introduce a temporary 1% betting levy to fund the transition from commercial horse racing.
- Establish a four-year task force to design and implement a national ban on horse racing, transition racetracks into community spaces, and rehome horses.
- Develop plans to transition workers out of the industry and into alternative employment opportunities.
- Ban Greyhound Racing & Greyhound Exports
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Greyhound racing is driven by gambling and results in widespread cruelty to dogs.
The Greens are pushing to end this exploitative industry while ensuring greyhounds are protected both within Australia and abroad.
The Greens' plan:
- Ban greyhound racing nationwide
- End the commercial export of greyhounds for breeding and racing, with exemptions for the import and export of pet greyhounds
- End the Cruel Shark Fin Trade
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Shark finning is a brutal practice that kills millions of sharks every year, devastating marine ecosystems. The Greens are focused on shutting down Australia’s role in this trade.
The Greens' plan:
- Ban the import and export of shark fins by amending customs laws to eliminate Australia’s contribution to the shark fin trade.
- End Factory Farming
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Factory farming subjects millions of animals to cruel conditions, prioritising profit over their welfare.
The Greens are committed to banning factory farming practices and supporting workers through a just transition.
The Greens' plan:
- Bring forward the ban on cage egg production and end the use of sow stalls and other cruel industrial farming practices.
- Enforce genuine free-range standards and improve food labelling laws to identify cruelty-free products.
- Stop the gassing of pigs in abattoirs and convene a $5 million task force to develop a just transition plan for workers affected by the ban on factory farming.