Agistment of livestock procedure

Audience

All state schools

Purpose

This procedure outlines the administration processes and legislative requirements for the agistment of livestock in state schools.

Overview

Schools may agist livestock in a number of ways. This includes agistment of privately-owned livestock on school property (including livestock owned by school staff) for use in school educational programs or as a commercial arrangement. Agistment of school livestock on non-school property may also occur.

State schools must have transparent governance and administration processes with regard to the receipt, movement, husbandry, sale, fitting (grooming), showing, registration and branding of livestock in schools including:

• formal arrangements with private owners of livestock kept on school property
• formal arrangements with landowners when school livestock are agisted on non-school property
• current and accurate livestock records for ownership, identification, movement, sale and any other details deemed relevant by the school.

This procedure aligns with existing legislation and codes of practice regarding the management of livestock, and includes applicable registration, biosecurity and ethical requirements. Other departmental policies, procedures and practices also apply to agistment arrangements, including financial processes, asset management, procurement, revenue, gifts and benefits, donations, advertising, sponsorship and appropriate and ethical use of public resources.

Responsibilities

Principals

• ensure Biosecurity Queensland and National Livestock Identification System requirements are undertaken
• ensure all relevant staff are aware of their general biosecurity obligation
• ensure movement of livestock is in accordance with the relevant code of practice as outlined in the relevant Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
• develop agreements with all private livestock owners that specify the conditions of the agistment arrangement (including any negotiated fees) and the responsibilities of all parties, and monitor ongoing arrangements
• inform people who are working with livestock at the school of the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements and ensure evidence of vaccination is obtained and recorded securely
• ensure a register of livestock is maintained as outlined in the agistment agreement
• consult with local council on land zoning requirements prior to agisting livestock
• ensure annual training about obligations and responsibilities related to the agistment of livestock is delivered to relevant staff and maintain a register of annual staff training
• ensure agistment arrangements comply with relevant departmental policies and procedures, including those for finance and asset management.

School staff involved in any aspect of agisting livestock

• ensure appropriate facilities are available to accommodate and care for the livestock in accordance with the relevant SOP
• comply with the agistment agreement, which includes undertaking any training required to understand and comply with obligations
• stay informed about general biosecurity obligations relating to weeds, pests, pest animals and diseases that could affect or be carried by animals or weeds on the property, and manage them appropriately
• comply with the requirements under the relevant Acts, the Code, SOPs, and relevant animal welfare codes of practice 
• report unexpected adverse events that involve animals for which they are responsible to the relevant parties within seven days of the event 
• comply with relevant departmental policies and procedures, including those for finance and asset management.  

Process

Image 1: Process for agistment of livestock

1. Preparing for livestock agistment

Principals

• Register as a Registrable Biosecurity Entity before livestock are owned or used by the school in an educational program. Registration will incur a fee which is renewable after a three year period
  • Note: Aquaculture activities do not require registration however general biosecurity obligations under the Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld) apply.
• Register with the National Livestock Identification System where cattle, sheep and goats are owned or used by the school in an educational program 
• Consult with local council on land zoning requirements prior to agisting livestock
• Before using animals (or if intending to use animals) within the school educational program, follow the processes set out in the Animals in Queensland state schools procedure for any required approvals, record keeping and reporting requirements
• Provide relevant staff with annual training, including refresher training, relating to their responsibilities using the PowerPoint training package (or equivalent) and maintain a register of annual staff training.

2. Establishing a livestock agistment agreement

Principals

• Develop an agreement with the livestock or property owner
  • a livestock agistment agreement will include, at a minimum, the following:
    • identification and signatures of parties
    • each party’s conditions, and obligations for the delivery, management, showing and removal of livestock
    • payment of costs associated with the upkeep of the livestock including GST arrangements
    • security and access to the property
    • liability and indemnity
    • notices and communications about the agreement or contact details
    • dispute resolution processes
    • term of agreement and conditions for termination
    • insurance requirements
    • other special or general conditions.
  • if making arrangements with private owners to keep livestock on school property, use the sample template agistment agreement (without changes to the standard conditions)
  • if making arrangements with landowners when school livestock are agisted on non-school property, amend the parties to reflect the arrangement and use the sample template agistment agreement (without changes to the standard conditions)
  • if making modifications to the template standard conditions to incorporate local needs, or if using a different agreement, principals must consult with Legal Services prior to finalising the agreement.
    • Note: For aquaculture activities, consult with Legal Services to draft an applicable agreement, and ensure the stockowner obtains relevant translocation approvals prior to moving live aquatic animals.
• Retain agistment agreements as set out in the Information asset and recordkeeping procedure
• If people are working with livestock at the school, inform them of the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements and ensure evidence of vaccination is obtained and recorded securely
• Manage any revenue generated by following the Revenue policy 
• Monitor ongoing compliance with relevant departmental policies and procedures, including the Gifts and benefits procedure, the Assets policy and the department’s Asset disposal methods (DoE employees only).

3. Monitoring and management during the livestock agistment Term

School staff involved in any aspect of agisting livestock

• Follow the requirements outlined in the Animals in Queensland state schools procedure and the relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for animals used in school educational programs. Each SOP outlines specific requirements for the appropriate facilities and care for livestock
• Ensure ongoing adherence to the conditions and processes set out in the agistment agreement. This includes the ongoing care of animals such as provision of adequate food and water, undertaking required husbandry practices, regular monitoring, administration of prescribed treatments, and seeking veterinary services as required
• Complete and maintain livestock records, including details of ownership, identification, movement (refer to Schedule 1 of the agistment agreement), sale and any other details deemed relevant by the school, and retain all required information for audit purposes and to comply with any requirements of the agreement and the Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld) and Biosecurity Regulation 2016 (Qld). It is recommended that all related records be maintained for at least seven years
• Keep up to date with general biosecurity obligations relating to weeds, pests, pest animals and diseases that could affect or be carried by animals or weeds on the property, and manage them appropriately. Key obligations include:
  • managing pests (e.g. weeds) and diseases on your property that could have negative impacts on neighbouring properties
  • carefully examining animals for disease before moving them.
    • refer to Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) webpage, General biosecurity obligation, or contact Biosecurity Queensland (on 13 25 23)  for further information and subscribe to DAF email updates.
• Report on unexpected adverse events (UAEs) when they occur to the relevant parties (e.g. livestock owner and principal ) and lodge an unexpected adverse event report within seven days to the Queensland Schools Animal Ethics Committee.

4. Completion of the livestock agistment Term

School staff involved in any aspect of agisting livestock

• At the end of the Term (or earlier determination) of the Agreement, advise the stockowner of when and where the livestock are to be re-loaded for transport, ensuring such movement of livestock is in accordance with the relevant code of practice as outlined in the relevant SOP 
• Ensure compliance with relevant departmental policies and procedures, including the Gifts and benefits procedure, the Assets policy and the department’s Asset disposal methods (DoE employees only).

Definitions

Legislation

• Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld)
• Biosecurity Regulation 2016 (Qld)
• Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 (Qld)
• Animal Care and Protection Regulation 2012 (Qld)

Delegations/Authorisations

• Nil

Other resources

• Animals in education
• Biosecurity Queensland
• National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)
• Standard Operating Procedures – Including alpacas and llamas (and other camelids), aquatic animals, cattle, horses and other equines, pigs, poultry, sheep and goats
• Unexpected adverse event report

Related policies

• Assets policy
• Animal welfare codes of practice
• Appropriate and ethical use of public resources policy
• Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, 8th edition 2013 (updated 2021)
• Revenue policy

Related procedures

• Advertising procedure
• Animals in Queensland state schools procedure
• Donations and bequests procedure
• Information asset and recordkeeping procedure
• Purchasing and procurement procedure
• Gifts and benefits procedure
• Sponsorship procedure

Superseded versions

Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.

1.0 Livestock on school grounds

2.0 Agistment of livestock