Saleyards and the NLIS

All saleyard operators are identified under the Biosecurity Act 2014 as a registrable biosecurity entity and must comply with the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) requirements.

Registrable biosecurity entities must register with Biosecurity Queensland to be allocated a property identification code (PIC) for livestock traceability purposes.

NLIS tagging requirements

All cattle, sheep, goats and pigs must be identified with an NLIS device before arriving at a saleyard.

Any of these animals that arrive at a saleyard without a device must be reported to a Biosecurity Queensland inspector within 24 hours of delivery and be fitted with an orange NLIS post-breeder tag bearing the PIC of the saleyards before leaving the saleyard.

Tagging requirements for cattle

If there is a malfunctioning electronic NLIS device that will not read electronically:

• the device may be removed by the selling agent or saleyards and replaced with a saleyard orange post-breeder device. The new and old NLIS device IDs must then be reported to the database to retain lifetime traceability
• or
• the saleyards may apply a blue saleyard tail tag to the animal with the malfunctioning device. The NLIS number is read manually and used to notify the NLIS database of the movement.

Tagging requirements for sheep and goats

Any sheep or goat without a device must be fitted with an NLIS approved saleyard pink post-breeder device before the sale. The individual serial number of the saleyard post-breeder device must be linked back to the sale and PIC of consignment.

Movement records

All animal movements must be accompanied by a movement record from the place where the animal is kept to the saleyards.

A copy of the movement record must be kept by the saleyard operators for 5 years.

Reporting to the NLIS database

It is the saleyard operator’s responsibility to report all movements of cattle, sheep and goats to the NLIS database within 48 hours of the sale. However, commercial meat processors require slaughter cattle records to be updated within 12 hours of sale.

To report to the NLIS database, saleyards must register for a ‘saleyard’ NLIS account. To register for a ‘saleyard’ account visit the NLIS website, if you require further assistance contact the NLIS helpdesk on 1800 654 743.

MLA tech tips (PDF, 4.6MB) are available on the NLIS database to assist saleyard operators with their NLIS reporting requirements.

Reporting cattle movements

Property to saleyard

As a saleyard operator, it is your responsibility to report the movement from the vendors PIC to the saleyard (take possession file) and the saleyard to the buyers PIC (sell possession file).

The following information must be reported:

• vendor/buyer PIC
• date of sale/transaction
• NLIS or RFID tag number for each animal
• serial number of the movement record
• EUSY number (saleyard ID).

Reporting sheep and goat movements

Mob based movement

You must report the following information when completing a ‘mob based movement’:

• species
• sale date
• PIC of the place of origin
• number of head
• the other PICs (PICs listed on the NVD that can be found in the mob described on the NVD)
• serial number of the movement record
• PIC of the place of destination
• EUSY number (saleyard ID)
• if the animals have been vendor-bred or not.

Also consider...

• Watch a short video on the National Livestock Identification System.