We, the undersigned, call on the Australian Government to establish and fund an independent national animal welfare authority with the power to:

Set and enforce consistent national animal welfare standards,
Monitor animal welfare conditions across farming, transport, and live exports,
Investigate cruelty allegations independent of industry influence, and
Ensure transparency and accountability in how animals are treated across all sectors.
Current oversight is inadequate, often fragmented, and frequently falls under government departments — such as the Department of Agriculture — that are also responsible for promoting animal-based industries. This presents a clear conflict of interest.

We urge the government to recognise that animal welfare must be treated as a national priority — not a secondary concern.

In particular, we call on:

Julie Collins MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and
Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water,
to take immediate action by:
Establishing and funding a truly independent national animal welfare authority, and
Initiating urgent legislative reform to modernise outdated companion animal laws that currently fail to protect the basic welfare of pets and domestic animals across Australia.
Australians overwhelmingly support stronger protections for animals. The time to act is now.