Summary
In late 2006, the Australian Livestock Transport Association (ALTA) national council agreed to pursue research about key aspects of the livestock transport industry and the rural carrying environment more generally. This decision was made in response to the fact that little data existed for this industry outside of more general Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) road freight data which were understandably less specific about the livestock transport industry.
There was also a desire to understand some demographic issues about the industry more fully, given that the ageing of the Australian working population and transport industry skill shortages are a generally acknowledged and serious issue. Finally, the ALTA takes its responsibilities in influencing better animal welfare outcomes seriously. It viewed a national survey as an excellent means of gauging industry views on important issues in this respect.