Battery Hen Cages

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:44): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Primary Industries on the topic of the resolution to ban battery hen cages by 2036.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: As part of the updated code, specifically the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry code, the minister would be very well aware that now over a year ago, in August 2023, a cross-jurisdictional decision was reached to ban battery hen cages by the year 2036. It is still over a decade away. So it will happen, but it can happen more quickly. There is no need to wait, and eight in 10 Australians would support that change right now.

The ACT banned battery cages in 2014. In 2013, Tasmania prohibited any new battery hen cages operators opening up in that state. My question, therefore, to the minister is: what is the Malinauskas government doing to ban battery hen cages in our state and to support those eight in 10 consumers who do not want battery hen eggs produced in our state and do not want to buy them?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:46): I thank the honourable member for her question. It is accurate that there has been a national agreement in regard to this matter. PIRSA is working through how we will implement this particular matter. I think it is also important to note that there remains a range of different opportunities in terms of the type of poultry methods that are used, including furnished cages, barn hens and free range, and all of those have a current role to play. With the outbreak of avian influenza, that perhaps has given additional visibility of some of the disease issues that are also faced with different methods and so it's an important consideration as we go forward.