Mandatory CCTV: Peak meat industry body overhauls video surveillance standards for Australian abattoirs

CCTV cameras will be mandatory in most abattoirs nationwide from next year after the peak body for Australia’s meat processing sector overhauled its certification system. The Australian Meat Industry Council this week released updated standards for its Australian Livestock Processing Industry Animal Welfare Certification System. AMIC acting CEO Tim Ryan said the move reflected the industry’s commitment to best practice animal welfare standards. “The release of version 4.0 of the AAWCS standards, which includes mandatory video surveillance systems, highlights our dedication to ensuring the humane treatment of livestock throughout the processing chain,” he said. “This technology is already widely embraced by industry and is designed to help processors monitor and validate animal welfare in their facilities.” The updated standards were developed in consultation with independent animal welfare experts, the RSPCA, AUS-MEAT, the Australian Meat Processor Corporation, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. They will be enforced from January 1, 2026. AAWCS is an independently audited certification program established in 2013 which applies from the receival of livestock through to processing. More than 80 per cent of sheep, cattle and pigs processed in Australia are slaughtered in AAWCS-accredited facilities. AMIC said it would provide support and resources to members to ensure a “smooth transition”. It had previously rejected calls for mandatory CCTV from animal welfare groups, citing a “lack of evidence” that video surveillance led to better animal welfare outcomes. “AMIC does not support mandatory CCTV due to a wide array of concerns, including privacy, cyber security, potential misrepresentation, (and) misuse of footage in case of a data breach,” the organisation said in April 2023. RSPCA Australia chief executive Richard Mussell welcomed the backflip, saying video surveillance was an important way of increasing transparency. He noted the update to AMIC’s certification system went beyond the minimum regulatory requirements. “The public will equally welcome the assurance animal welfare is being upheld in AAWCS certified red meat processing facilities,” Mr Mussell said. “There is an opportunity to integrate similar CCTV requirements in all abattoirs and processing establishments through the current review of the Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Processing Establishments.”