Qld Licence Law Debarcle

[Mel]

Hi People,

I have just been on the phone to the E.P.A to get clarification on these new laws that have come in in Qld, and I got a bit of a shock from my enquiry.

I was under the impression that in Qld, when you sold an animal to an interstate buyer, you filled out a movement advice. However, when you sold an animal to a buyer who was also in Qld, you simply filled in your record book and off you went. Well, apparently I was wrong.

The girl I spoke to at the E.P.A quite adamently told me that it has always been the law that whenever you sell an animal to anyone, even people that also live in Qld, you must always fill out a movement advice form...and apprently this has always been the case. I have not heard of this before, and have only ever filled out movement advice forms when moving animals interstate! No-one in Qld that I have ever bought from or sold an animal to has mentioned anything about a movement advice! This girl even went and checked with her supervisor, and he also assured me that this was the case.

So her basic summation was that ever since I've had my licence, I've been doing it all wrong, and her exact terminology was "Sh$t, you could be in heaps of trouble." Yay...that made me feel better.

So I'm suposed to ring them back later and sort out where to go from here. Has anyone else in Qld always filled out movement advice forms for Qld buyers? I don't understand it, because in the Operational Guidelines that came with my licence, it says under section 4.6: "The holder of a Recreational Wildlife Licence does not need a wildlife movement permit or movement advice for the movement of a recreational reptile to another recreational licensee within Queensland."

So what the frig is it then? How the hell are we supposed to abide by the laws when E.P.A can't seem to make up their mind about what those laws are?

Mel x

 

[Adam]

Good luck!! Sounds like a big poo fight to me. Mmmmmmm I wonder about NSW then as we have to do Import license to get one in from another state or an export license to send them out of state, but nothing for local buyers. Guess I will ring NPWS tomorrow to see, thanx Mel for the intersting point.

 

[ad]

Mel,
I have never moved a reptile in qld with a movement advice. As I see it its a bird license condition and now a new law. I think she is wrong.
Ring Alex at the Moggill office, he is the man to speak to. I would trust his advice.
Cheers
Ad

 

[sxereturn]

Not true Mel. All of us would be getting in trouble.

 

[insectovor]

It never used to be that you had to fill out mov adv for local trade ...however now the laws state that you have to fill one of these in every time you do a exchage of animals. the other side is that you don't have to fill out any returns anymore...
All this info I heard through a mate of mine....the epa has never told me any info about changes etc......

 

[cwarren72]

Ignorance is Bliss

 

[Alexahnder]

i read the whole queensland legislation and it said you needed one of them for local trade

 

[Adam]

Ignorance doesn't have a leg to stand on in any court of law.

 

[sxereturn]

I've had my licence 4 years and never filled in a return. Everytime I remember it's like a month late so I don't bother. Never had a phone call.

 

[Mel]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I knew it wasn't true, but it gets very confusing when the QPWS/EPA tells you a different story altogether. I'm going to give one of the local QPWS offices a ring tomorrow, and get them to either tell me over the phone, or preferably send me, the whole run-down of the new laws. I'm also going to have something to say about what I was told today. And I'd also like to know what the friggin difference between a Movement Advice and a Movement Permit is, and what is required for what!

It sh$ts me that the laws have changed, and us, the paying licensees, are kept in the dark. How much would it have cost them, and would it really have hurt, for them to photocopy off probably a double sided A4 page and post out to all licensees, so everyone knew what was going on?! According to the EPA, there are only around 800 licence holders in South East Qld, and even if you extrapolate that number out to account for all of Qld, it still wouldn't have exactly been a monumental drama for them.

I do my best to do the right thing by my animals and the laws that govern their keep...but these situations make it difficult.

Mel x

 

[ad]

Only 800, I thought there would have been heaps more than that.
I agree totally Mel, they should have done a lot better job.

 

[Adam]

HERE HERE Mel.

 

[cwarren72]

Everyone knows what is going on it's just that knowone knows what everyone else knows? This is the Government for you.

 

[Already_Gone]

Cool, there is less than 1000 of us, we are special!!! Yeah, you dont need a movement advice in QLD-QLD transactions. Lol... we are still getting used to the old laws and then they go and change em...

 

[Robert]

I have never filled out Mov.Ad. for local sale.
When i purchase from Cairns etc i don't then either.

I called EPA the first time I shipped something down from Townsville and i was told i needed nothing to just go ahead and purchase the snake,but she said obviously needed one to ship interstate.
And a copy of the new laws would be great but i wouldn't hold ya breath.

 

[iluvsmyreptiles]

From the 1st of March you need to fill out a movement advice for ALL movements, local and interstate.

Before 1st of March you didn't need to do this for local trades (unless they were restricted wildlife).

Hope this helps.

 

[phantom]

so are they going to send us (the 800) a copy of the new laws or do we all end up in the poo

 

[Mel]

When I ring them today, I am going to try and get copies of the laws on paper. I'll go into an office and harass someone if I have to. When (and if :roll: ) I get them, I'll post them up here for other Qld'ers.

We need to get someone on staff at QPWS/EPA as a member here. Actually, one staff member from every state would be SUPER

Mel x

 

[AGAMIDAE]

the person that you were talking to is wrong.....with Qld you do not need to write out a movement advice, however if it is venomous you need a movement permit....all herp going interstate you will need a movement advice and if venomous a movement permit.

 

[sxereturn]

You need to fill out a movement advice for EVERY transaction now in QLD. No more returns.