Parliament has given a third reading to the National Animal Identification and Tracing Amendment Bill.

The bill was passed under urgency. It makes technical amendments to the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act 2012 to align its provisions with existing policy and legislative intent. It does not represent new policy.

The amendments clarify certain existing obligations, search and inspection powers, and offence provisions, and are important for the investigation and management of non-compliance with the NAIT Act. The amendments are deemed necessary to support theMycoplasma bovis response and eradication programme.

Included in the changes is clarification that all animal movements from one location to another location must be declared to NAIT, whether or not that other place is a registered NAIT location. The corresponding offence provision has been change to ensure it clearly covers the failure to declare movements of animals to another location even where it is not a registered NAIT location.

Among the major changes made by the new law is removal of the reqjuirement for a search warrant under the NAIT Act to be in a particular form.

The NAIT Act powers for warrantless inspections and searches are also aligned with those in the Search and Surveillance Act 2012.

The new legislation will come into force on the day after it receives the Royal assent.