National Health and Medical Research Council' (NHMRC) Code Advisory Group was established to provide advice about amendments to the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, 8th edition (2013) to incorporate a ban on the use of animals for cosmetic testing.

Terms of reference

In the 2017–18 Federal Budget, the Australian Government announced the implementation of a ban on cosmetic testing on animals. This initiative includes working with the state and territory governments to incorporate a testing ban through their respective legislation, triggered by changes to the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, 8th edition (2013). The process for amendments to the Code is being managed by the NHMRC under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NHMRC and the Commonwealth Department of Health. 

In accordance with this MOU, the Code Advisory Group will:

  1. Provide advice to NHMRC's Animal Welfare Committee on amendments to the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, 8th edition (2013) to prohibit the use of animals for testing cosmetic products and chemical ingredients of cosmetic products.
  2. Ensure that advice on any amendments to the Code are:
    1. consistent with the provisions of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019 that bans the use of new animal test data to support the introduction of chemicals used exclusively as cosmetic ingredients, and
    2. limited to those amendments necessary to prohibit the use of animals for testing cosmetic products and chemical ingredients of cosmetic products.

Reporting

The Code Advisory Group will report to NHMRC's Animal Welfare Committee.

Duration

The Code Advisory Group will be effective from 19 August 2019 to 30 June 2021.

Chair,
Ms
Prue
Torrance

Executive Director
Research Quality and Priorities Branch – NHMRC

Declaration

Nil.

Dr
Robert
Cassidy

Representative, state/territory government department responsible for animal welfare (QLD)

Declaration

Role involved with the adoption of any new edition or revision of the Code.

Dr
Lynette
Chave

Representative, state/territory government department responsible for animal welfare (NSW)

Declaration

  • Inspector under the NSW Animal Research Act 1985
  • Executive Officer to the NSW Animal Research Review Panel
  • Veterinary Officer, Animal Welfare NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Ms
Toni
Dalziel

Representative, state/territory government department responsible for animal welfare (SA)

Declaration

Nil

Dr
Liz
Eedle

Representative, co-endorser of the Code (Universities Australia)

Declaration

Nil.

Dr
Jed
Goodfellow

Expertise in animal welfare (RSPCA Australia)

Declaration

Nil. 

Professor
Edna
Hardeman

Chair, NHMRC's Animal Welfare Committee
Expertise in the use of animals for health and medical research
 

Declaration

  • Employed by UNSW Sydney that administers NHMRC grant monies, uses animals in research, and contributes to the discussion on the use of animals for biomedical research.
  • Chief Investigator on NHMRC Project Grants.
  • Past, current and future application to NHMRC for research and people support.
  • Member of NHMRC Assigners Academy and Grant Review Panels; Science Assessor for Development Grants.
  • NHMRC Guideline – Guidelines to AECs on Xenotransplantation (2010)
  • Australian Government/NHMRC/ARC Guideline – Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes 8th edition (2013)
  • NHMRC Guideline – A Guide to the care and use of Australian native mammals in research and teaching (the Guide) (2014) (Chair of approval committee)
  • NHMRC Guideline – Principles and guidelines for the care and use of non-human primates for scientific purposes (2016) (Chair of NHP working committee).
  • NHMRC Guidance – Best practice methodology in the use of animals for scientific purposes (2017) (Member of working committee).

Dr
Dani
Maver

Representative, state/territory government department responsible for animal welfare (VIC)

Declaration

Development of related guidelines, standards, educational materials or fact sheets as representative of Victorian regulator for animal research.

Dr
Monika
Merkes

Expertise in animal welfare (Animals Australia)

Declaration

  • President of Humane Research Australia.
  • Membership of the Victorian Schools Animal Ethics Committee (Category C).
     

Mr
Peter
Phillips

Representative, state/territory government department responsible for animal welfare (NT)

Declaration

Nil.

Ms
Lara
Purdy

Representative, Commonwealth Department of Health

Declaration

Nil.

Dr
Jack
Steele

Representative, co-endorser of the Code (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)

Declaration

Nil.

Mr
Justin
Withers

Representative, co-endorser of the Code (Australian Research Council)

Declaration

Nil.