Animal Welfare Officer

The Animal Welfare Officer is part of the Division of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) and is responsible for providing clinical veterinary services and monitoring animal welfare in the University. The officer promotes awareness of best practice in the care of animals and ensures standards required by the University and the Australian Code of Practice are observed and that decisions of the Animal Ethics Committee are complied with.

Reporting Animal Welfare Concerns 

How to Report Concerns:

1. To the Animal Facility Manager or Animal Welfare Officer
   If animal house, academic or other staff or students have any concerns about the well being of animals held at the University for use in research or teaching, they should be reported to the relevant Animal Facility Manager, or the Animal Welfare Officer.
2. To the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC)
   If you are unable or unwilling to report to the Facility Manager, please contact the following representatives of the AEC; the Animal Ethics Committee Secretary or the Animal Welfare Officer. That person will take up the matter with the relevant AEC if appropriate. The AEC membership includes welfare and community representatives.

Please be assured that concerns will be treated confidentially and sympathetically and there will be guaranteed follow up.

Animal Welfare concerns may include:

• departures from practice of humane and ethical treatment of animals in the animal house, laboratory, or fieldwork locations.
• breaches or non-compliance with the Animal Welfare Act, Regulations or associated Codes of Practice 
• breaches or non-compliance with the Australian code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, or University policies and guidelines.

Who to contact: