RSPCA Australia says it supports the continuation of livestock saleyards, but believes animal welfare standards must be lifted.
The welfare body's reassurances come as a review into proposed saleyard welfare standards has agents and selling centre operators frustrated by plans to roof all yards and restrict yarding numbers.
The guidelines aim to generate improved and nationally consistent rules for the care and management of livestock in saleyards and depots.
Despite some industry unease about RSPCA's agenda, its senior scientific officer Melina Tensen said the group's submission to public consultation on proposed Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Livestock in Saleyards hadn't demanded the end of yards.
Submissions for consultation closed last Friday leaving draft guidelines to be tweaked by industry, government and animal welfare stakeholders.
The final document is intended to be endorsed by State and territory agriculture ministers who will choose whether to enforce it in legislation for their jurisdictions.
Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association (ALPA) chief executive Andy Madigan and Australian Livestock Markets Association (ALMA) executive officer Tony White said their organisations would only agree to the proposed guidelines if they were to become law in all States and territories without change.
ALPA and ALMA agreed in principle to the intention of the proposed standards but could not agree with all.
Mr Madigan said saleyards would find it impossible to comply with the proposal to hold or sell pigs and dairy-bred bobby calves under a roof because some saleyards did not have a roof.
"This standard would not allow them to be sold," he said.
"This we would accept as a guideline only, not as a standard."
Mr Madigan said ALPA could not agree to the clause regarding overcrowding in selling pens.
"It would be impossible in some selling pens while the sale is being conducted to ensure an animal is freely able to move, turn around and rise from a lying position unobstructed in a pen or yard," he said.
Ms Tensen said animal welfare groups supported the process of converting the old model saleyard code into new standards and guidelines to try to create national consistency to saleyard practices.
She said figures in a regulation impact statement attached to the proposed guidelines showed about 25 million animals were still being sold through Australian saleyards.
This indicated a genuine need for saleyards to continue.
"Wherever saleyards are used, animal welfare needs to be front of mind for all those operating in that environment, from the guy unloading the truck, to the agent, to the sales people and the livestock manager," she said.
She said direct-consigned or online auctions were in the best interests of livestock.
Ms Tensen said RSPCA's submission highlighted the provision of water and better shelter or shade for animals as key welfare measures.
