Annual NSW inquiry into the Approved Charitable Organisations (RSPCA/AWL)

[tdierikx]

For anyone who might be interested, the first hearing in the latest NSW inquiry into the activities of RSPCA and AWL is on Thursday 2 April. It can be watched by webcast.

 

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=3137#tab-hearingsandtranscripts

 

If you check out the tabs in that link above, you can see/read most of the submissions made to the inquiry. Interestingly a large number of them relate to the highly publicised case of the WIRES carer who recently was acquitted of all charges... so it might get interesting in the hearing on Thursday.

 

RSPCA are up first at 9:15am...

 

Interestingly, this year they have called the Minister responsible for animal welfare legislation (Tara Moriarty) to give evidence. She is on at 2:15pm.

 

At this stage there is only one hearing in this inquiry, but depending on what is raised, there may be others scheduled to respond to issues raised in this hearing.

 

T.

[Little Gifts]

This is Annual and they still get away with doing so little with so much? (Speaking about RSPCA more than AWL.)

[tdierikx]

20 hours ago, Little Gifts said:

This is Annual and they still get away with doing so little with so much? (Speaking about RSPCA more than AWL.)

 

Supposed to be annual, but runs every 2 years because the wheels of government move slowly. The first inquiry in 2019 resulted in the "annual" inquiries we are having now.

 

The same issues have been identified in each subsequent inquiry (2021, 2023, and the current 2025 one), but despite government responses to recommendations made being essentially positive, the realities of implementing those recommendations come down to the massive costs to do so - simply put, it's easier to continue the status quo of no fixed financial agreement to "get the job done" in some fashion. Essentially, no government wants to set a fixed stipend in the budget for this area, moreso they prefer to continue to fund whatever they can "spare" after most other spending has been allocated.

 

RSPCA NSW put forward a funding request back in 2023 outlining what it thought was 3 "workable" funding models to address animal cruelty prevention in NSW...

 

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/other/19635/RSPCA NSW 2024 State Budget NPP - Business Case798.pdf

 

An interesting snippet came up yesterday where RSPCA were whinging about how hard it was to get some of their designated duties done - a case where 2 inspectors were required to spend a whole day travelling each way to a routine inspection in a regional area - the cost of travel and accommodation was highlighted. FFS, they only went to Dubbo! If they hadn't closed all of their regional centres, maybe they would have had local staff to go do that job for much less. Considering that they say they have at least 10-15 "regional" inspectors on staff, the question is where the heck are they actually located if it's a 3 day turnaround for any of them to attend a regional job? I'm tipping they are located in the Central Coast facility (or even in Sydney) rather than actually in the regions they are supposed to be servicing.

 

T.

 

 

[Little Gifts]

Sounds  like they don't actually want  a solution, T. With the job I do we spread all over the state because we cover the entire  state. We are also doing the same kind of in home inspecting work as RSPCA but with vulnerable children and teens. We are recruited and employed to cover certain geographical areas and all that comes with it (ie travel, long sometimes split work days,  overnighters).  We do have a couple of workplaces (spaces in courthouses) but we generally work from a home  base and only meet in person every couple  of months. It's not rocket science - our clients don't live in CBDs  so neither should we. Oh and if we are travelling out of town and doing an overnighter we make an effort to not only do one client visit - we squeeze in as many as we can organise (whilst also doing admin work on our laptops whilst in our cheap motels at night if needed). What other inspections could these inspectors also be doing as  part of that regional trip? Just excuses and zero reason to let animals continue to suffer while they ponder logistics.

 

I'm sure some of  their employees have skills (and love animals) but time and again they prove themselves to be heartless and toothless by choice.

[tdierikx]

Another fun fact that came up in the hearing yesterday... AWL say that as soon as RSPCA turned off their online reporting page, AWL online reports went through the roof (AWL have an online reporting page active), and AWL's NINE inspectors investigated EVERY single one of those reports, despite having stuff all government funding to do the job entrusted to them.

 

RSPCA have around 40 inspectors and a much larger budget to to the same work, yet they also send a number of "jobs" to AWL. Funnily enough this year, RSPCA did not report the actual number of jobs they sent to AWL, despite happily reporting same in previous years.

 

Interestingly, most witnesses yesterday when asked which model of action they "preferred", every single one said they trusted the AWL model of education and assistance before using the prosecutorial options they have at their disposal. RSPCA tend to go for the punitive options more often than the education/assistance options.

 

Apparently the deeds of operation (MOU's?) for both agencies were tabled yesterday... not sure if they will be made public though.

 

The DPI reps were entertaining when they were fending off some very pointed questions from Abigail Boyd (Greens) trying to get info on what bills may be in the pipeline from the government... lol! Rachel Connell did a superb job of not disclosing stuff that isn't allowed to be aired in a public forum.

 

Steve Courtney was really good too, and made a lot of great points.

 

T.

[asal]

AWL are far better than the mongrels who should be disbanded 

[tdierikx]

Video of the hearing from the other day...