In a public consultation undertaken from 26 November 2008 to 30 January 2009, Queenslanders were invited to be involved in the development of a new approach to animals that are kept and exhibited in facilities such as zoos, aquariums, circuses and petting zoos, as well as animals used by magicians and in mobile demonstrations.

The Queensland Government wishes to thank those who provided comments on the Exhibited Animals discussion paper. Your feedback is appreciated and will be considered during preparation of Queensland´s first single piece of legislation for the keeping of animals for exhibition and entertainment.

The discussion paper outlines the benefits and risks of keeping and exhibiting animals. The benefits to the community include contributions to conservation, research and education and as places of recreation. It also discusses the major risks such as animal welfare, public safety, pest potential and disease, and how these risks can be mitigated.

An overarching consideration is the capability (financial and other resources) of a facility to keep and maintain the animals, particularly those that require sustained resources over an extended period such as long-lived animals like elephants and tortoises. A number of options from other jurisdictions are also discussed.