Livestock movements
A National Vendor Declaration (NVD) or other approved movement document must be completed at each stage of the livestock movement. The receiver must record the movement details from these movement documents on NLIS or PigPass within two days, as well as keep the records for five years in the case of sheep and goats, seven years for cattle and three years for pigs.
Under the Biosecurity (Livestock Traceability) Regulations 2024, ‘transport’ means any movement of identifiable stock. This includes livestock that are moved on foot from one PIC to another.
The following key points of the requirements for the supply chain must be read in conjunction with the Biosecurity (Livestock Traceability) Regulations 2024. These Regulations provide penalties/fines for not complying with the requirements.
Transport drivers
A transport driver moving identifiable livestock must:
be in possession of a movement document for the identifiable livestock
complete information required on the movement document
give a copy of the movement document to the receiver/owner/operator/proprietor when the livestock arrive at the receiving premises
provide an event operator with the PIC of the premises the livestock are being transported to from the event.
LTR Fact Sheet Livestock Transporters
Livestock agents
The livestock agent:
must not supply identifiable livestock unless they are in possession of a movement document
must provide the movement documents and saleyard PIC to the person they are suppling the identifiable livestock
must keep a record of the following information (sheep, goats, cattle for two years, and three years for pigs):
provide the operator of a saleyard with relevant movement and post-sale information
provide transaction information (agent's name and business address, the PIC they livestock are being held on or were supplied to, and the date of the movement) to NLIS/PigPass within two days of the livestock arriving at the receiving premises
each day they are supplied with identifiable livestock, record and keep for two years the following information in relation to those livestock:
LTR Fact Sheet Livestock Agents
Livestock owners
A livestock owner must:
An operator of a saleyard must:
be in possession of movement documentation to present identifiable livestock for sale
give a new owner a copy of the movement documentation before the livestock leave the saleyard
keep a record of the movement information for two years after the day the livestock were presented for sale
ensure livestock information listed below is recorded on NLIS/PigPass by the following day of the sale unless they have been sold for slaughter in which case the record must be made on the day of the sale, or within two days any unsold livestock were transported from the saleyard:
LTR Fact Sheet Saleyard Operators (PDF 301Kb)
Livestock processing operations
Operators of livestock processing operations (abattoirs and knackeries) must:
ensure all cattle, sheep, goats and pigs are correctly identified when they arrive at the premises or as soon as is practical
be in possession of movement documents before identifiable livestock are slaughtered or moved
keep movement information of cattle, sheep, goats for two years or pigs for three years
record each day the number and species of these livestock held and also slaughtered and hold those records for two years
record movement and slaughter information on NLIS/PigPass within two business days.
Livestock events
Operators of livestock events must:
ensure identifiable livestock are not sold or disposed of at the event premises unless the have in their possession the movement information
at the conclusion of the event record and keep the following information for two years for sheep, goats and cattle, and two years for pigs:
for identifiable livestock held on event premises for three days or more, record on NLIS/PigPass the following information, within two days:
for identifiable livestock held on event premises for two days or less, record on NLIS/PigPass the following information, as soon as practical:
livestock identification details
the date the livestock were transported to or from the event premises
PIC of the event premises
serial number of any National Vendor Declaration for the transported livestock.
LTR Fact Sheet Livestock Events
Livestock Depots
The operator of a livestock depot must:
ensure identifiable livestock are not sold or disposed of without having in their possession the movement information
keep for two years a record of:
provide the following information when suppling identifiable livestock at a depot:
movement document
PIC of the depot
record on NLIS/PigPass the transaction information, PIC of the premises livestock are transported to, and movement document information for all sold and unsold livestock, within two days
by the close of business each day record the number and species of livestock sold that day at the depot and keep that record for two years.