Regulating animal welfare services

Tabled Report 6: 2021–22

Tabled date

2021-11-30

Report year

2021-22

Agriculture Community welfare

Entities audited

Not identified in the published HTML audit scope.

Recommendations

1. QAO's text Addressed to: the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (the department) amends the legislation to

   In reviewing the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 (the Act) and associated regulations, we recommend the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (the department) amends the legislation to:

   • clarify the accountabilities and accreditation of inspectors
   • have oversight of recommendations from inspectors for prosecutions and any related proposals for charge and plea negotiations between the defendants and prosecutors before presenting the case in the court
   • provide it with access to all information that inspectors collect as part of their investigations and prosecutions
   • include requirements for managing conflicts of interest 
   • require it to approve a fee schedule of reasonable cost recovery and make it publicly available.

2. QAO's text Addressed to: the department

   We recommend the department:

   • establishes minimum performance and re-accreditation requirements for inspectors, and oversees inspectors’ performance against the requirements
   • maintains a register of current inspectors and implements controls over identity cards
   • establishes minimum standards for the welfare of the majority of animal types RSPCA Queensland regulates
   • increases its oversight and support of RSPCA Queensland investigations by regularly reviewing the investigations and providing feedback for improvement
   • increases its oversight, and participates with RSPCA Queensland in decisions to prosecute
   • actively monitors the outcomes of complaints about RSPCA Queensland investigations and inspectors
   • oversees how RSPCA Queensland is managing conflicts of interest relating to its enforcement function.

3. QAO's text Addressed to: the department assigns responsibility and accountability for overseeing the

   We recommend the department assigns responsibility and accountability for overseeing the engagement with RSPCA Queensland to a person with appropriate authority.

4. QAO's text Addressed to: the department partners with RSPCA Queensland to

   We recommend the department partners with RSPCA Queensland to:

   • develop effectiveness measures and use them to assess the enforcement activities against intended outcomes
   • develop and use financial reports to ensure accountability for funds the department provides.

5. QAO's text Addressed to: all public sector regulators and oversight bodies self-assess against better practices in Appendix C and, where necessary

   We recommend that all public sector regulators and oversight bodies self-assess against better practices in Appendix C and, where necessary, implement changes to enhance their regulatory performance. 

Authoritative report — Queensland Audit Office

Report PDF on QAO