Buying and Selling Cattle

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The following outlines what you must do if you wish to buy or sell cattle.

Identification

1. NLIS Tags

All cattle must be correctly identified with a NLIS tag before leaving a property.

To order NLIS tags from your local rural store or an online company, you need to be associated to a PIC and be authorised to order NLIS tags. You can achieve this by completing the PIC & NLIS form or by registering via the online PIC Registration and Amendment System. 

If you have a PIC number (e.g. MABC1234) and are already registered for NLIS tags, you can order NLIS ear tags from your local rural agent or any online company. 

WH&S Issues
Where it is a Work Health & Safety issue to safely identify cattle with an NLIS tag before leaving a property there are two alternatives:

1. Apply to the Secretary (see contact details below) to move the cattle to a site where there are facilities to safely identify the cattle using your NLIS devices.

2. Apply for a permit to move unidentified cattle. The approved permit must accompany the cattle and the movement document such as the National Vendor Declaration (NVD) or the Tasmanian Generic Vendor Declaration (GVD) in transit from the property to the destination. Please ensure that the abattoir will accept the stock for slaughter under the permit before applying for the permit. Application forms are available online.

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Other Requirements

2. Vendor Declaration

Whenever cattle are sold or moved to another property with a different PIC a movement document must be provided to the person in charge of the stock at the destination property. A movement document can either be a National Vendor Declaration (NVD) or Tasmanian Generic Vendor Declaration (GVD). This applies for any change of ownership.

For cattle, both parties are to keep a copy of the movement document for a minimum of 7 years.

3. Recording the Movement on the NLIS Database

Movements between properties must be recorded on the NLIS database by the person responsible for the cattle on the new property (usually the purchaser). See Transferring Cattle for more information.

If the cattle have been purchased through a saleyard then the saleyard is responsible for recording the transfer. In this instance the purchaser must provide the saleyard with the Property Identification Code (PIC) of the property the cattle are being moved to.

4. Purchasers to Provide PIC

If you are buying cattle make sure you provide the saleyard or vendor with the Property Identification Code (PIC) of the property the cattle are to be moved to.

5. How do I obtain cattle tags?