At the Warrnambool Magistrates' Court recently, livestock agent Andrew Wilson pleaded guilty to 4 charges for traceability offences under the Livestock Disease Control Regulations 2017.
Mr Wilson was sentenced to an aggregate fine of $2,500 with conviction. Plus, an order for costs of $341.79 was also given.
Agriculture Victoria Compliance Manager, Daniel Bode, said on 4 occasions in October and November 2023, Mr Wilson sent cattle to an abattoir in Tongala, Victoria without recording or forwarding the property identification code prior to their dispatch.
'This resulted in the loss of lifetime traceability for a total of 61 animals.'
The Magistrate considered Mr Wilson's prior convictions for related offending in 2017 and 2021, his plea of guilty and actions taken to prevent further offending. The Magistrate also commented that the offending had consequences of significance and general deterrence was necessary to send a message.
Mr Bode said the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) is Australia's system for identifying and tracking cattle, buffalo and bison for disease control, food safety and market access purposes.
'An effective traceability system is critical to protecting Victoria from biosecurity risks and ensuring access to international markets,' Mr Bode said.
'The NLIS provides information about a product's journey from farm to the end consumer and enables prompt responses to food safety incidents, emergency animal diseases and also protects the reputation of Victoria's livestock industry as a supplier of quality meat and dairy products for domestic and export markets.'
Mr Bode said the detection of the offending and thorough investigation conducted by the department has ensured potential risks to Victorian livestock and consumers were avoided.
'The outcome of the matters brought before the court served as a strong reminder the Victorian community takes biosecurity seriously.
'The vast majority of Victorian producers do an excellent job helping to ensure a strong biosecurity system is maintained.
'A strong biosecurity system not only protects our agriculture sector, but also our environment, biodiversity, cultural heritage, economy and way of life.'
