Explanatory note

This Supplementary Order Paper amends the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. Animal testing should only be carried out when the proven benefit outweighs the cost to the animals and only as a last resort. There is a growing range of non-animal tests available, many of which are proven to be of equal or higher accuracy than animal testing. The fact that New Zealand currently lags behind in implementation of these new non-animal tests, combined with, the potentially higher cost of some non-animal tests, means that if it is not specified in legislation, animal testing will continue to be the default choice in many situations. The Animal Welfare Act 1999 is currently missing a clear provision specifying that animal testing must not be used when alternatives are available. This Supplementary Order Paper would insert such a provision. This provision would help prevent animals suffering through unnecessary testing and ensure a world class and ethical Animal Welfare Act 1999.