From 1 February 2026, the rebate scheme for goat and sheep eID tags will be extended to cover all National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS) accredited sheep and goat tags.
Under the NLIS system, sheep and goat tags come in different colours so farmers can easily tell two things:
- Whether the animal was born on their property (breeder tag) or bought from somewhere else (post breeder tag).
- If it’s a breeder tag, which year the animal was born. There are nine year of birth colours used in a repeating cycle.
Right now, the eID tag rebate only applies to four of these colours, not all of them.
Expanding the Rebate Scheme to all colours will help producers access the scheme before it finishes on 30 June 2026. It also helps support the advance purchase of tags for future lamb and kid births.
Mandatory electronic identification for all sheep and goats will begin on 1 January 2027.
The Rebate Scheme opened on 1 June 2024 and will close on 30 June 2026.
See more information on the Tag Rebate Scheme.