Who Needs to Register?

The Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013 — in short, the BAM (IMSA) regulations — require that all beekeepers and owners of livestock must be registered.

Whether they are kept as pets or for commercial purposes, the following animals are considered livestock under the BAM (IMSA) regulations:

• cattle
• sheep
• goats
• deer
• buffalo
• horses
• mules
• South American camelids (alpaca, llama, vicuna)
• pigs (including miniature pigs).

All are required to be identified with their owner’s registered identifier.

Ostrich owners do not have to be registered if they own no other types of livestock. If they wish to identify their ostriches with a registered identifier, they must be registered.

Beekeepers are also required to be registered, each hive must be identified with the owner’s registered identifier.

Registration is valid for a period of three years and a renewal notice will be issued prior to the expiry date.

How to Register

To register as an owner of stock or a beekeeper, you need to complete one of the following forms:

Application for registration as an owner of stock

Application for registration as a beekeeper

The form should be returned (with the scheduled fee) to a Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) office or post it to:

Brands office
Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia
PO Box 1231
Bunbury WA 6231

Once your application has been processed, you will be issued with a registration certificate and card.

For livestock owners the card (PIC card) will indicate your registered identifiers (stock brand, pig brand and earmark), your brand expiry date and your property identification code (PIC) for the properties nominated where you will run your stock.

For beekeepers the card will indicate your registered hive brand and your brand expiry date.

Completing this Registration Form

Owner name/trading name

You must record an owner name and may record a trading name if you wish. The owner name or trading name you use to register is the name/s in which you will trade and purchase/sell your stock. These name/s will be used in any dealings with your stock.

Addresses

Please provide both a postal and residential (physical) address, not just a PO Box number. In instances of disease outbreak, it may be necessary to actually find you rather than sending mail notifications.

Signatures

Ensure that all parties who are signatory to the brand have signed in the signature section. If a name is written but there is no signature next to it, the brand will only be registered with the person/s who has signed.

This means that in the future, the person/s who originally signed are the only one/s whose signature is required to change registration details.

Updating details on an existing registration

If any of your details (other than your trading name) change, you can update these with the form below:

Notification of change of address and property details

For example, if you purchase new land, end a lease or change your address, it is important to advise the brands office. A change of postal address must be notified within seven days of the change occurring.

There is no charge involved in updating your registration information however it is an offence to change your address and not notify the brands office.

Transferring a brand/altering an owner or trading name

The PIC card and the registered identifiers contained on it belong to the registered owner. They do not belong to the property on which you operate.

If you sell your property, it is your choice whether you retain the brand and other identifiers (if you intend farming elsewhere), or if you transfer ownership of the identifiers to the new property owners (who would get a new PIC). Brands and earmarks can be transferred to a new owner at any time by completing the form below:

Application for transfer of identifiers

Any change to an owner name or trading name is also considered a change of ownership and the above form should be completed. The transfer of registered identifiers requires the signatures of all parties who were signatory to the original registration.

The transfer will not be processed without all of the correct signatures. If the owner is a company, evidence that the signatories are directors of that company will be required. The updated registration is valid for the next three years.

Cancelling a Brand Registration

To cancel a registration of ownership complete the form below:

Application for cancellation of registration

Alternatively, on receiving your re-registration notice, you can complete the cancellation form if you do not wish to re-register your brand. If a brand is not re-registered at the end of the three year registration period, the registration expires and the identifiers become available to other livestock owners.

Once a registration expires, it can no longer be legally used by the previous owner unless they successfully apply for re-registration.

Registering as a Non-Farming Property Operator

Under the BAM (IMSA) regulations a non-farming property is any land where stock are kept other than a farming property. This can include:

• A saleyard
• An abattoir
• An export depot
• A holding or transit yard
• A pound
• A showground

All operators of non-farming properties must be registered. To register you need to complete the form below:

Application for registration as a non-farming property operator

The form should be returned (with the scheduled fee) to a DAFWA office or post it to:

Brands office
Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia
PO Box 1231
Bunbury WA 6231

Once your application has been processed, you will be issued with a registration certificate and card. For livestock owners the card (PIC card) will indicate your property identification code (PIC) and the PIC expiry date. Registration is valid for a period of three years. A renewal notice will be issued prior to the expiry date.

Buyer Identification Codes

People who purchase livestock from a saleyard but do not know the immediate destination for the stock may apply for a buyer identification code (BIC). Stock agents, export buyers and abattoir buyers can then give their buyer code (BIC) to the saleyard operator for stock they purchase instead of the PIC of the destination.

To apply for a buyer identification code, complete the form below:

Application for a buyer identification code

The form should be returned (with the scheduled fee) to a DAFWA office or post it to:

Brands office
Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia
PO Box 1231
Bunbury WA 6231

Access to Information on the Brands and PIC Register

Information in the brands and PIC register is public information. Brands and PIC register data is available from the department’s website. Information can also be retrieved by making a written request and paying the scheduled fee.

To request information on the brands and PIC register,complete the form below:

Application for information on the register

The form should be returned (with the scheduled fee) to a DAFWA office or post it to:

Brands office
Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia
PO Box 1231
Bunbury WA 6231

Notification of a Mortgage Over Stock or Apairy

A registered owner of stock or registered beekeeper can give notice of a mortgage over their stock or apiary. This information will be recorded in the brands and PIC register, however, it will not be available as public information.

To register a mortgage or renew mortgage information, complete the form below:

Notice of mortgage or renewal of notice of mortgage

The form should be returned (with the scheduled fee) to a DAFWA office or post it to:

Brands office
Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia
PO Box 1231
Bunbury WA 6231

Withdrawal of Notification of a Mortgage

A registered owner of stock or registered beekeeper who has previously given notice of a mortgage over their stock or apiary can withdrawal that notice by completing the form below:

Notification of withdrawal of a mortgage notice

The form should be returned (with the scheduled fee) to a DAFWA office or post it to:

Brands office
Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia
PO Box 1231
Bunbury WA 6231