The template for this years annaul stats return is included here. Due date is July 19.

SALEYARD STATISTICS ANNUAL RETURN 2013

The following suggested changes have been received.

COP changes June 2013.

Please advise by June 21 if you wish to comment on these.

Yesterday I attended a workshop run by MLA that covered the issue of grass seed contamination in lambs. Main area of concern for us is the preceived dumping of badly affected stock at saleyards.

Future actions are likely to include PIC based tracking of lamb producers and a flag warning system for PIC’s that have had grass seeed contamination. Processors will incorporate a national rating system for each carcass and this will be feed back to agents and producers.

Find attached a draft action plan. ON sure of LSAV involvement going forward but we will receive correspondence and PR materials at a later date.

National Grassseed Action Plan_Discussion Paper_Ver3_ 090413AC

The following information was received in the most recent ALTRA newsletter in relation to transporters pushing for new ramp (and possibly pens/gates/yards etc) standards. LSAV has not received any information on this process and I would be interested to know if any members have been asked about this or received any information from the transport sector.

Work starts on the new ramp standard

I’m pretty pumped to report that the federal bureaucrats have been moving quickly to start work on this project. This week, they’ve appointed former Victorian WorkSafe officer Kevin Simmonds to do a lot of the leg work on the issues surrounding ramp safety nationally. This will involve identifying and analysing existing information on the safety issues involved not just with ramps but also races, holding pens, yards, forcing pens etc.

Of course, once we get to a point where we have all the safety concerns listed and current design issues sorted, we’ll be talking to everyone concerned about the best way to proceed. We’ll be doing this collectively so we get the right outcome and improve safety for our members and others involved.

John Beer, ALRTA President

John’s opening comments mention that we’ll be looking for member input shortly (and others who are interested) on the key safety issues you face at pick up and receival points.

We’ll do that through a member questionnaire soon but we need you to start collecting information now as we have to have the report drafted and finalised in the next six weeks. The types of things we’ll be looking for include, but are not limited to:

1. What factual issues exist now (not wish lists) that cause safety problems in doing your job;

2. The types of sites we need to be focussing on eg livestock exchange, abattoirs, feedlots,export terminals, farms;

3. Photographs that clearly identify the concern you have (remember the saying that every picture tells a thousand words and we want to include photos in the Report);

4. Case studies of previous injuries or incidents (which show why there is a need to improve and change). This goes for not just transporters but others like Agents who have been injured when struck by a gate etc).

We’d also like to know if you would “volunteer” to collect information and be more involved in a small working group encouraging others to participate.This is a great opportunity to develop an important long term safety improvement in our industry and we need your help.

Please start thinking about this TODAY, we need your support to make this project a success.