News

Animal welfare a hot topic

By Djembe Archibald

Aug 15, 2025

The animal welfare panel included Agriculture Victoria animal health and welfare director Les Howard (far right). Photo by Megan Fisher

Animal welfare was a hot topic at a recent trucking conference in Shepparton, including who is responsible during a rollover.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Agriculture Victoria animal health and welfare director Les Howard spoke about truck rollovers and the processes that happen to keep drivers, animals and people safe.

“Truck rollovers involving cattle and sheep, goats is an unfortunate part of the industry, and it’s something that I know ... professional drivers work hard to avoid, but they do, unfortunately, occur,” Mr Howard said.

“Agriculture Victoria’s role in responding to livestock truck rollovers is as a support agency, and we do that as a support agency to [Victoria Police], who is the incident controller when an incident occurs.”

Angus Karger and Ann Ferry. Photo by Megan Fisher

He also used his time to remind truck drivers at the conference of their role in animal welfare during emergent situations.

“Transport companies, it is also your primary role to provide assistance and manage truck rollovers involving livestock.

“I had a incident recently where unfortunately a truck rollover occurred, and in speaking to the owner after the event, their attitude was very much that ‘truck rolled over, and it's no longer my problem’.

“I highlighted to him that while he may have had transit insurance that that was still not the case, he still had a duty of care to be involved in the management of the stock.”

Archie and Anna Hannasky attended the conference. Photo by Megan Fisher

When livestock needs to be disposed of following an incident, Mr Howard said it is the landowners’ responsibility.

Even if a truck rolls over into a nearby paddock, the farmer is responsible for the disposal, but the most important part of an incident is cooperation from all parties.

The animal welfare panel discussion was a part of the Livestock and Rural Transport Association Victoria’s 2025 conference, held at MOVE in Shepparton on August 8 and 9.