• Section 1 - Preamble
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• Katherine Rural Campus (KRC)
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Section 5 - Non-Compliance

Section 1 - Preamble

(1) Charles Darwin University (CDU) is committed to providing a safe environment for all staff and students. Staff may require animals to be on campus for the purposes of research, teaching, education, and training. Animals on campus must be appropriately cared for and managed and confined at all times.

Section 2 - Purpose

(2) This policy is designed to provide a safe, regulated and ethically managed environment for animals on campus when required for research, teaching, education, and training, or when essential on campus as genuine assistance or therapy animals.

(3) The conduct of research or teaching involving animals must comply with the requirements of the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes 8th Edition 2013 and other legislative requirements of the states and territories in which the research takes place.

Section 3 - Scope

(4) This policy applies to all staff and students. The scope applies to all non-human vertebrates and cephalopods.

Section 4 - Policy

(5) The presence of animals on campus must be restricted to those required for research, teaching, education, and training, or for genuine use as guiding, assistance, stress-relief or therapy animals for humans. Educational activity includes occasional instructional uses of domestic or wild animals on occasions such as Open Day.

(6) The conduct of research or teaching involving animals must comply with the requirements of the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes 8th Edition 2013 and other legislative requirements of the states and territories in which the research takes place.

(7) All research, teaching, education and training involving animals as defined by the Animal Protection Act 2018 must be approved by the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC).

(8) Animal welfare and ethics at CDU is administered by the Animal Welfare Officer (AWO) and the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) in accordance with the Animal Protection Act 2018 and Regulations and the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes 8th Edition 2013.

(9) Animals on campus must at all times be treated ethically and humanely.

(10) Animals on campus must be managed and confined at all times.

(11) Animals on campus must not constitute a nuisance, hazard, or risk, nor cause damage to other campus users and facilities.

(12) Animals on campus used for research, teaching, education and training come under the jurisdiction of the AWO and the AEC for overall institutional governance as outlined in the Terms of Reference of the Animal Ethics Committee.

Katherine Rural Campus (KRC)

(13) Animals, with the exception of those required for research, teaching, education, and training, or as genuine assistance or therapy animals are not permitted on campus, with the exception of domestic animals on residential properties on KRC and privately-owned horses on KRC, providing these are the property of the residents and they are in accordance with their licence to occupy.

Roles and Responsibilities

(14) Animals used for research, teaching, education, and training are the responsibility of the relevant Faculty or Institute and of the University as a whole.

(15) Domestic and assistance animals are the responsibility of the individual owner.

(16) The AWO is responsible for overall institutional governance regarding the care and welfare of animals in the University.

(17) The AEC is responsible for ensuring that the care and use of animals for teaching and research is compliant with legislation.

Section 5 - Non-Compliance

(18) Non-compliance with Governance Documents is considered a breach of the Code of Conduct – Staff or the Code of Conduct – Students, as applicable, and is treated seriously by the University. Reports of concerns about non-compliance will be managed in accordance with the applicable disciplinary procedures outlined in the Charles Darwin University and Union Enterprise Agreement 2022 and the Code of Conduct – Students.

(19) Complaints may be raised in accordance with the Complaints and Grievance Policy and Procedure - Employees and Complaints Policy - Students.

(20) All staff members have an individual responsibility to raise any suspicion, allegation or report of fraud or corruption in accordance with the Fraud and Corruption Control Policy and Whistleblower Reporting (Improper Conduct) Procedure.