Member consultation
The NZVA Te Pae Kīrehe is your voice. It's important that NZVA members provide feedback on our positioning to ensure our position statements align with your views.
We encourage you to engage with each consultation and provide feedback.
The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) is consulting on proposed changes to the Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle (the Code). The committee is proposing several updates to minimum standards and recommendations for best practice.
As veterinarians, your professional insights and lived experiences are vital to shaping practical and effective animal welfare standards in Aotearoa New Zealand. The NZVA is seeking feedback from members so we can make a submission on your behalf.
We strongly encourage members to contribute to this process. Your voice matters. Participating in this survey is not only an opportunity to share your professional views—it also strengthens NZVA’s collective ability to advocate for science-based, workable standards that protect animal welfare and reflect the realities of veterinary and farming practice.
Your feedback provides essential evidence to ensure the Code remains grounded in scientific knowledge, ethical responsibility, and the practicalities of delivering care in the field. It also helps us reflect the diverse perspectives of our membership when engaging with regulators.
The survey will ask for your views on proposed minimum standards and two new recommended best practices for painful husbandry procedures. There will also be space to comment on other areas of the Code, including example indicators, additional recommended best practices, or suggested alternatives.
You do not have to respond to every question in this survey.
Please complete the survey by 5pm on 1 July 2025.