In 1997 the ACT Government passed legislation to ban the battery cage however this legislation has never been implemented. This is because part of the legislation restricted the importation of battery eggs into the ACT and this required the agreement of all other Australian states and territories; unfortunately this agreement was not granted. To overcome this problem Free Range Canberra aims to ban the production of battery eggs in the ACT - but not the importation or sale of battery eggs in the ACT.

TIME IS RIGHT

There is only one battery cage production facility in the ACT, it is owned by Pace, the largest egg producer in Australia. This facility was previously owned by Bartter and was known as Parkwood Eggs.

This battery cage facility is required to upgrade all battery cages by 2008 in order to comply with national standards. This required change is an opportunity for the facility to change to another egg production system, such as free range, or to close down. Free Range Canberra hopes Pace will convert to a state-of-the-art free range system, therefore increasing employment in Canberra and stopping the suffering of battery hens.

History of the ACT campaign

October 1995

Activists entered Parkwood Eggs, a huge battery hen complex in the ACT, to protest the cruelty inflicted on the battery hens kept there. They removed 10 dead hens and 22 live ones, 12 of which were in such bad condition they had to be euthanased. Four hen rescuers, the 'Parkwood Four', where arrested for trespass.

February 1997

The Parkwood Four were found not guilty of trespass in the ACT Magistrate Court. Magistrate Michael Ward found they had a reasonable excuse for protesting at Parkwood Eggs. He found: keeping hens in battery cages is inherently cruel to the hens; that the code of practice is contradictory and allows a system that is contrary to the welfare of the hens; and that Parkwood Eggs was breaching the code of practice. Unfortunately this result was later over turned by the Supreme Court.

September 1997

The ACT Legislative Assembly passed legislation to prohibit the sale and production of battery eggs in the ACT. The legislation was put up by the ACT Greens and supported by the ALP. The legislation has never been implemented due to national competition policy. The restriction on the sale of battery eggs in the ACT requires the agreement of all other Australian states and territories and this agreement was not granted.

October 1998

People Data (Aust) Pty Ltd conducted an opinion poll in 1998. The poll found 79% of those surveyed were concerned that battery hens do not have 'the freedom to move around, stretch their wings, and lay their eggs in a nest'. Also 81% were prepared to pay more (that is from 50c to "any price" more) for eggs once the battery cage was banned.

November 1998

The Productivity Commission published the report Battery Eggs: Sale and Production in the ACT. The report was commission as part of a Public Benefits Test and examined the effectiveness of the ACT legislation in banning the production and sale of battery eggs.

The report found:

• there were no competition policy implications for other states, in fact the only state affected, NSW, would probably benefit from the legislation, as NSW free range and barn egg producers would increase their market in the ACT;

• that as the economic consequence would be born almost entirely by the ACT it should be up to the ACT to decide whether the legislation was on balance in the public interest; and

• a ban on the use of the battery cage system would lead to improved hen welfare particularly in the longer term. The Commission concluded: "This mainly reflects the fact that alternative systems allow greater expression of behaviours which experts in the field agree are important to hens, such as dust bathing, nesting and perching."

April 1999

Activists again entered Parkwood Eggs in the ACT where they found 70 sick hens and many breaches of the code of practice. In spite of photos, video footage, statements from 30 witnesses, and 3 vet reports based on autopsies and examinations of sick hens, no charges were laid against the owners.

July 1999

The national Free Chook 2000 campaign began to convince all state and territory ministers to ban the battery cage. The campaign, organised from the ACT, was run through The Body Shop stores nation wide and incorporated Yellow Beak Day. The campaign gained celebrity support and raised the issue to an all time high.

September 1999

Labelling of battery cage egg cartons was introduced in the ACT. The labelling, the first in Australia, stated "battery cage eggs" on ACT produced battery eggs. The labelling was to be repealed in 2001 but was saved by ALP member, Simon Corbell.

August 2000

At a meeting of all state and territory agriculture ministers it was resolved that any existing battery cage that did not comply with 1995 standards must be modified or scrapped by 2008.

January 2004

A newspoll survey conducted for Sunday Telegraph in January 2004 found 83% of those surveyed want improved conditions for battery hens.

July 2004

The Free Range Canberra campaign was established and the political party registered. Candidates were elected to run in the October 2004 ACT election.

October 2004

The ACT election was held. Despite having the federal election campaign running at the same time about 6% of Canberrans voted to put a Free Range Canberra candidate in the Legislative Assembly. Unfortunately this was not enough to elect a candidate but the result, together with the public response during the campaigning, shows strong support for the banning of battery cages in the ACT. For more detail on the ACT election see our Election page.

November 2004

Free Range Canberra was granted $20,000 from Voiceless, a philanthropic organisation set up by Brian Sherman, businessman and arts patron, and his daughter, Ondine Sherman. Actor Hugo Weaving presented the award in Sydney.

This marked a new beginning for the campaign.