Moving untagged animals

Animals exempt from tagging

In most cases, animals moving between 2 NAIT locations must be tagged and registered with NAIT. Animals that are exempt from this obligation are:

• cattle and deer that the Person in Charge of Animals (PICA) has determined to be unsafe to tag (UTT) or impracticable to tag (in the case of fallow deer)
• bobby calves under 30 days of age and moving directly to a meat processor
• animals born on a game estate, safari park or zoo (while the animal is at the game estate, safari park or zoo).

Animals exempt from the requirement to tag and register must only move to a meat processor, game estate, safari park or zoo.

UTT animals — what they are

UTT animals are cattle and deer which you, as a Person in Charge of Animals (PICA), believe are too dangerous to tag. For example, they may be large and aggressive, or present a risk to farm staff.

UTT animals can only move to a meat processor, game estate, safari park or zoo. They must be clearly marked with a red X, before you send them, so the meat processor or new PICA can easily identify them as UTT animals.

You pay a levy of $13 plus GST to the meat processor for each UTT animal you send to slaughter.

Trophy stags

You don't need to tag and register trophy stags born at a game estate, wildlife park or zoo, although you need to provide an annual tally of animals at your location.

If you send trophy stags from a game estate, wildlife park or zoo to another property and they aren't too dangerous to tag, you must:

• tag and register them, and
• create a sending movement in NAIT before you move them.

Bobby calves

You don’t need to tag and register bobby calves under 30 days of age before you move them to a meat processor.

If tags are missing

When cattle or deer leave your farm they must be tagged and registered in NAIT unless you have an exemption. Animals that arrive at a meat processor with no tag and no exemption, don't comply with NAIT. In this case, the meat processor:

• may charge extra on top of the NAIT slaughter levy of $1.49 (plus GST) for slaughtering your untagged animals, and
• will record them as an untagged, but not exempt, animal in NAIT.

Recording movements for exempt animals

When you move animals exempt from tagging — except for bobby calves — you must record an 'exempt animal movement' in NAIT. As well as the date of the movement and the NAIT number of the animal's destination, include information about its breed, gender and approximate age.

If the information you record isn't correct, your meat processor can reject the movement and may return the animal to you.

Deleting an exempt animal movement

You can delete an exempt animal movement if, for any reason, the movement doesn't go ahead.