Most animal welfare issues are the responsibility of State and Territory governments. If you are concerned about an animal welfare issue and you would like to see a change in government policy on this issue, one of the best ways to do something about it is to write to your local State/Territory MP or to the Minister responsible for animal welfare in your State/Territory.
You can find out which government department is responsible for animal welfare in your State/Territory from our article ‘What is the Australian legislation governing animal welfare‘ (see below for link).
National issues
If the issue is one of national significance, or comes under the control of the Australian (federal) Government, then you should contact the relevant Australian Government Minister or contact the relevant government department.
- For issues such as standards for livestock, live exports of animals, animal quarantine and trade you should contact the Australian Government Department of Agriculture. To contact the current Minister, go to the Ministerial homepage
- For issues such as wildlife management, wildlife trade, invasive and threatened species, you should contact the Australian Government Department of Environment. To contact the current Minister, go to the Ministerial homepage