The Commonwealth Government announced $22.5 million for an upgrade of the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database.

Integrity Systems Company will use this investment to develop a new database that has improved functionality, user-friendliness, analytics, reporting and cybersecurity. The new database will be developed independently to avoid impacting the functionality of the current database.

There will be a government-supported discount on sheep and goat eID devices in NSW between 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025.

This discount will be $0.76 per device applied to 2025 NLIS-accredited white eID devices when purchasing from the retailer or manufacturer.

Events such as the UK Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in 2001, highlighted the importance of eID. The lack of individual sheep traceability at that time led to a seven-week tracing process, contributing to a widespread outbreak and a seven-year export market ban. By contrast, the implementation of eID in Victoria has demonstrated that tracing can now be completed in minutes instead of days, showcasing the substantial improvement in response efficiency.

eID enhances the ability to trace and manage livestock during a disease outbreak, leading to quicker and more effective responses, reduced impact, and protection of export markets.

Livestock traceability and feral animal management work together to manage animal disease transmission.

While feral animals may play a role in the transmission of some livestock diseases, transmission between livestock is likely to be the major immediate threat in the case of emergency animal diseases given the larger numbers and closer geographic proximity of domesticated livestock.

Control of feral animals during an exotic disease emergency is outlined in the AUSVETPLAN for wild animal response (https://animalhealthaustralia.com.au/ausvetplan).

Implementing eID for your sheep and goats will bring about a few key changes in how you manage and track your livestock:

1. Switching to eID Devices:

Starting 1 January 2025, you will need to use NLIS-accredited eID devices instead of traditional NLIS visual tags for all lambs and kids born from that date. Additionally, by 1 January 2027, all older sheep and goats must have an eID device before they leave any property.

2. Individual Movement Recording:

From 1 January 2025, all NLIS transfers involving sheep and goats with an eID device will need to be recorded as individual movements. This means you’ll need to upload the individual eID device numbers for each animal being transferred, replacing the previously used mob-based movement system.

These changes will require adjustments in your management practices, especially in how you track and record livestock movements, but they are designed to improve traceability and biosecurity in the long term.

• Any sheep or goats that are born from 1 January 2025 onwards, must be moved or sold with an eID device.

• Any sheep or goats that are born during 2024 or earlier must be moved or sold with an eID from 1 January 2027.

• Any sheep or goats that are born during 2024 or earlier are permitted to be moved and sold with an NLIS visual tag until 31 December 2026.

Implementing electronic identification (eID) for your sheep and goats offers several valuable benefits for on-farm management:

1. Accurate Individual Identification:

eID allows you to accurately and consistently identify individual animals on a large scale. This is particularly useful for managing large herds, as it ensures precise tracking and monitoring of each animal.

2. Enhanced Data Collection:

By combining eID with data collection on traits important to your business—such as health, fertility, genetics, weight gain, and wool characteristics—you can store and analyze individual animal data. This information becomes a powerful tool for enhancing production.

3. Informed Decision-Making:

Access to detailed individual animal data allows you to identify the top and bottom performers in your herd. This enables more informed management, monitoring, and selection decisions, leading to improved productivity and profitability.

4. Improved Disease Management:

eID enables faster and more accurate tracing of animals, which is crucial in the event of a disease outbreak. This capability allows governments to reduce the spread of disease and respond to exotic disease incidents more quickly. For producers, this reduces the risk of livestock loss and minimizes the potential impact on revenue.

Overall, eID offers significant advantages for both day-to-day farm management and long-term business success.

According to the NSW Regulation, sheep and goats are required to have a permanent identifier, such as an NLIS-accredited eID device, before they are moved from their property of birth or any subsequent property. However, if your animals never leave your property, they are not required to have an NLIS eID device.

It's important to note the upcoming changes to the regulation:

• Sheep and goats born from 1 January 2025: These animals will need to have an eID device before they leave their property.

• All sheep and goats from 1 January 2027: Regardless of when they were born, all sheep and goats will need to have an eID device before moving from any property.

If your animals remain on your farm and never leave the requirement for an eID device does not apply. However, if they are ever moved off your property, they must be identified with an NLIS eID device as per the regulation.

Lost, stolen or stray stock can have a status assigned to their individual eID device, which is then recorded in the NLIS database as an individual device status. Providing the eID device has not been removed, Integrity Systems Company will send an automated warning email to the NSW DPIRD NLIS Enquiries Email Inbox when that device is scanned into the NLIS database by a saleyard or abattoir operator, or a producer.

The NSW Police Force Rural Crime Prevention Team sees the implementation of sheep and goat eID as a valuable tool in preventing and detecting livestock theft. Whilst the use of eID in sheep and goats will soon become mandatory, it is critically important that producers adopt proper practices around their use such as conducting regular PIC reconciliations to ensure an accurate record of devices and livestock numbers on a property. Furthermore, it will be essential for producers to ensure any property- to-property movements are accurately recorded on the NLIS database as the RCPT relies on the accuracy of this information when conducting stock theft investigations.

A harvested rangeland goat (HRG) is a goat captured from the wild, not born through a managed breeding program, and not subjected to any animal husbandry procedures or treatments. Here’s what you need to know about their movement and requirements:

1. Tag-Free Movement:

HRGs can be moved tag-free when sent directly to an abattoir for slaughter or via one registered goat depot, provided they meet certain other accreditation requirements.

2. New Requirements from 1 January 2025:

• Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) Training: Owners of HRGs will need to complete LPA training specifically tailored for HRG accreditation. This training is mandatory to ensure compliance with new standards and best practices.
• HRG National Vendor Declaration (NVD): When transporting HRGs, owners must use a HRG National Vendor Declaration (NVD). This document ensures that all necessary information about the HRGs is provided and that they meet required standards for movement and processing.

These requirements aim to maintain high standards for the handling and processing of HRGs, ensuring traceability and compliance with the NLIS Regulation and industry standards.

For more information visit the ISC HRG webpage