Scientific Procedures Premises Licence (SPPL) - Victoria

Description

You will require this licence if you intend to carry out scientific research involving animals. Ordinarily, the cruel treatment of animals, including scientific testing, is strictly prohibited under animal welfare laws.

A Scientific Procedures Premises Licence authorises the holder to carry out certain scientific procedures on animals that would otherwise be illegal. This licence only applies to a specific premises. Examples of such scientific procedures include:

  • surgical, medical, psychological, chemical or physical treatment
  • unusual conditions of heat, cold, light, dark confinement, noise, isolation or overcrowding
  • abnormal dietary conditions
  • electric shock or radiation treatment

The following organisations are exempt from licence fees:

  • not-for-profit organisation that have five or less full-time equivalent employees
  • registered schools
  • children's services

Specific approval under this licence is required if you intend to carry out scientific procedures on any of the following animals:

  • gorilla
  • chimpanzee
  • baboon
  • orang-utan

This approval will only be granted if the scientific procedure is in the best interest of those specific animals or for the protection of human health and the objective cannot be achieved by any other means.

Service type

Licence

A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for this licence you must:

  • apply as an individual or on behalf of a legal entity (a licence cannot be issued to an unincorporated association)
  • have an agreement with an Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) to be nominated to oversee animal use for the licence
  • nominate a person to be responsible for the procedures to be carried out (a Licence Nominee)
  • pay any required fees.

Consideration will be given to applications for a licence to conduct Scientific Procedures in Victoria from interstate applicants, with decisions made on a case by case basis. Applicants with Licence Nominees and/or Animal Ethics Committees based interstate will need to demonstrate an ability to provide supervision and control of licence activities commensurate with the level of risk to animal welfare.

Additional conditions will be placed on licences using interstate AECs stating that the licence holder must provide on request a copy of any interstate regulatory inspection report on the activities and functioning of a nominated AEC relevant to Scientific Procedures conducted in Victoria.

Ongoing eligibility requirements

A licence holder wishing to conduct scientific procedures must apply for approval for the project to the nominated Animal Ethics Committee. All practices carried-out under the licence must be in compliance with the:

  • National Health and Medical Research Council Australian Code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes
  • Victorian Code of practice for the housing and care of laboratory mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits
  • Code of practice for the use of animals from municipal pounds in scientific procedures.

You will also be required to satisfy record keeping requirements and ensure that your premises comply with minimum standards.

Duration

The duration of the licence is for a period of one, two or three years.

Fees

Fees Details for this service in table format.

Task Type Business Structure Amount Description
Apply Application All $627.07

One year. Fees for 2024-25

Apply Application All $994.50

Two years. Fees for 2024-25

Apply Application All $1361.92

Three years. Fees for 2024-25

Apply Application All $1729.35

Four years. Fees for 2024-25

Renew Renewal All $529.09

One year. Fees for 2024-25

Renew Renewal All $890.00

Two years. Fees for 2024-25

Renew Renewal All $1249.25

Three years. Fees for 2024-25

Renew Renewal All $1610.14

Four years. Fees for 2024-25

Forms

Act(s) name

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 Victoria

Regulation(s) name

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019 Victoria

Administering agency

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action

Agriculture Victoria

Contact details

Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.