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Have your say
The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) is consulting on proposed changes to how sheep and beef cattle are farmed in New Zealand.
NAWAC has reviewed the existing code of welfare for sheep and beef cattle and wants your feedback. The committee is proposing several updates to minimum standards and recommendations for best practice.
You can make a submission between 14 May and 15 July 2025.
Consultation documents
Proposed changes to the Code of Welfare: Sheep and Beef Cattle [PDF, 750 KB]
Related documents and information
NAWAC Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle [PDF, 810 KB]
NAWAC Code of Welfare Evaluation Report [PDF, 1.2 MB]
What’s being proposed?
Proposed changes to the code include:
- incorporating dairy sheep into the code
- amended behavioural provisions for sheep and beef cattle
- new minimum standards for animals in off-paddock facilities and feedlots.
NAWAC is also proposing a regulation to prohibit the use of electro-immobilisation devices.
Making your submission
Email your feedback on the draft code by 5pm on 15 July 2025 to animal.consult@mpi.govt.nz
You can also use our online survey to make a submission.
Online submission form for the sheep and beef cattle code of welfare
While we prefer email, you can post written submissions to:
Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle Submission
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand.
What to include
Make sure you tell us in your submission:
- the title of the consultation document
- your name and title
- your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
- your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).
Additionally, state in your submission which of these groups you best associate with:
- primary sector organisation
- farming
- member of the public
- animal advocacy organisation
- transport or livestock company
- animal health professional
- research institute
- other – please specify.
Submissions are public information
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
