Before a project can begin you will require a Licence from the Bureau of Animal Welfare.
Four further clarification on which licence you require please contact the Bureaus of Animal Welfare:
Please see below for your information references from the Bureau of Animal Welfare regarding the Scientific Procedures Premises Licence (SPPL), the Scientific Procedures Fieldwork Licence (SPFL) and the Specified Animals Breeding Licence (SABL).
Licences and Fieldwork
The system for licensing animal use for research and teaching in Victoria has 3 licence types: the Scientific Procedures Premises Licence, the Scientific Procedures Fieldwork Licence, and the Specified Animals Breeding Licence Depending on the work done one or two of these licences may be required.
The Scientific Procedures Premises Licence (SPPL)
The Scientific Procedures Premises Licence permits Scientific Procedures to be conducted, dependant on Animal Ethics Committee approval. Premises that are legally occupied by the licence holder (owned, leased or held under formal agreement) may be listed on the licence as approved premises. Procedures conducted at premises that are not listed on the licence must be treated as Fieldwork.
The Scientific Procedures Premises Licence also permits the breeding of Specified Animals for use underthat licence, again with Animal Ethics Committee approval. The licence does notcover breeding of Specified Animals specifically intended for supply toother licensed institutions or outside the state. If this breeding isundertaken, a Specified Animals Breeding Licence is required in addition to theSPPL. However, in line with the principle of Reduction, if the number of Specified Animalsapproved for use in a project are subsequently found to be in excess of projectrequirements, these animals may be passed on to other licensees without theneed for a Specified Animals Breeding Licence. It is expected that thesenumbers will be very small.
An application for a Scientific Procedures Premises Licence or to renew or vary the details of apre-existing licence may be obtained from the Forms section on this page.
The Scientific Procedures Fieldwork Licence (SPFL)
The Scientific ProceduresFieldwor k Licence permits Scientific Procedures to be undertaken as Fieldwork. No approved premises may be listed on the licence. All projects conducted undera SPFL must have the place or premises approved by the Animal Ethics Committeeprior to the start of the project. Specified Animals may not be bred under a Scientific Procedures Fieldwork Licence.
An application for a Scientific Procedures Fieldwork Licence or to renew or vary the details of a pre-existing licence may be obtained from the Forms section on this page.
Fieldwork
'Fieldwork' applies to Scientific Procedures conducted at premises not listed on a licence and can beconducted under a SPPL or SPFL. Prior to commencement of a Fieldwork project, it must be reviewed by the Animal Ethics Committee, including the premises to be used. If approval for a Fieldwork project has been given, the AEC must forward details of the project to the Bureau of Animal Welfare. This should bedone as soon as the project receives final approval and before animal use begins.
A Fieldwork Notification formmay be obtained from the Forms section on this page.
The Specified Animals Breeding Licence (SABL)
An institution that breeds Specified Animals with the direct intention to supply to other licensed institutions or outside the state must have a SpecifiedAnimals Breeding Licence. This applies whether or not a Scientific ProceduresPremises Licence is also held. To hold a SABL, an institution must legallyoccupy (own, lease, or hold under formal agreement) the premises used.
The SABL licensee is required to have an affiliated AEC, and AEC approval is required for breeding ofSpecified Animals.
An application for a Specified Animals Breeding Licence or to renew or vary the details of a pre-existinglicence may be obtained from the Forms section on this page.
Death as an end-pointprocedures
'Death as an end-point' refers to those rare procedures where death is the deliberate measure for evaluatingbiological or chemical processes, responses or effects (see the Australian Code of Practice for theCare and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes). Theseprocedures may only be carried out for the achievement of prescribed outcomes,and only where the objective cannot be achieved by any other scientific means (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 1997).
'Death as an end point' procedures must be approved by the Minister for Agriculture. An application forministerial approval to conduct these procedures may be obtained from the Forms section on this page.
