Exhibiting animals at a regular enclosure site and special exhibition approvals

In Queensland you can apply to exhibit and deal with an animal at the premises where the licence is issued (regular enclosure site) by completing an application for exhibition licence.

Examples include businesses such as zoos or wildlife parks where the public enter the licensed premises to view an animal on exhibit within an approved enclosure (regular enclosure).

How do I apply for approval to exhibit a species?

If the animal can be obtained legally and is permitted for exhibition within Australia, you may apply to exhibit an animal by submitting a completed management plan. The management plan must detail how you:

• propose to exhibit and deal with a particular species or an animal of a particular species
• will manage risks such as animal management issues relevant to animal welfare, human health, safety and wellbeing, social amenity, the economy and the environment.

Under the Exhibited Animals Act 2015 (the Act) these key concepts refer to the relevant risk and relevant adverse effects of exhibiting an animal and your general exhibition and dealing obligations.

What kind of animals may be exhibited at the licensed premises?

Animals obtained under an exhibition licence fall into 3 main categories – category A, B or C. Category C is further divided into C1 and C2. Regardless of what category a species is, all animals obtained under the Act must be held for at least 1 month prior to transfer off the licence.

Exhibiting a category A, B or C animal at a private event, taking photos or filming the event and posting footage on the internet of the event, or any other similar activities are considered exhibiting the animal. Details of how the activity will be undertaken must be recorded in the management plan for the animal. Exhibiting an animal in this way does not count towards the minimum exhibit requirements.

Category A animal requirements

A management plan for species will identify a type of regular enclosure that will be used, rather than the specifics of each enclosure proposed for each individual animal.

For example, you may wish to apply for a number of woma pythons (Aspidites ramsayi). Rather than provide information such as the dimensions for each regular enclosure at the regular enclosure site, the management plan may detail that each woma python between 1–2 metres in length will be housed in a regular enclosure with an area no smaller than 4m² and 1.5m high.

Category B animal requirements

All category B species listed on the licence must be exhibited once in each calendar month.

Generally, a management plan for each category B species may be required depending on how the risks associated with each species are managed. Each management plan will detail how you propose to meet your exhibition and dealing obligations associated with keeping the species. All details must be submitted with the management plan, including specifics of:

• proposed regular enclosures at the regular enclosure site
• transport
• responsible person’s experience
• how you propose to conduct activities with the species
• exhibit enclosure information.

All category B animals to be exhibited outside of the regular enclosure site must be identifiable by a third party. This can be achieved by microchipping or using another approved identification device detailed in the Exhibited Animals Regulation 2016 (the Regulation).

Category C animal requirements

All category C species must be exhibited for a minimum of 50 hours in each calendar month, or a total of 600 hours in the previous year.

A management plan must be submitted for all category C species detailing the specifics of:

• proposed regular enclosures at the regular enclosure site
• transport enclosures
• responsible person experience
• how activities are to be conducted with the species
• exhibit enclosure information.

Category C1 animal requirements

Although licence holders may exhibit category C1 species at the regular enclosure site there is no mandatory requirement to do so. There is also no requirement for licence holders exhibiting C1 species at a regular enclosure site to apply for a special exhibition approval (SEA) to exhibit C1 species off the regular enclosure site. If C1 species will be exhibited outside their regular enclosure, the general exhibition and dealing obligations will be addressed through a management plan application for exhibits conducted at a variety of events.

Category C2 animal requirements

Licence holders must meet their mandatory exhibit requirements by exhibiting all species to the public at the regular enclosure site. You can apply for an SEA to exhibit category C2 species away from the regular enclosure site for special events. SEA approvals are granted for up to 1 year. A detailed management plan for each C2 species you wish to remove from the regular enclosure site must accompany an SEA application. You may apply for a special exhibition approval by completing the application to amend exhibition licence—special exhibition approval (category C2).

Due to the high risk of taking C2 species off the regular enclosure site, SEA approved species are only permitted for exhibit off the regular enclosure site when the licence holder is able to document how they will manage all relevant risks and adverse effects associated with the proposed exhibit.

Licence holders approved to take category C species off the regular enclosure site must ensure each animal is identifiable by a third party. This can be achieved by microchipping or using another approved identification device recorded in the Regulation.