Animal Welfare Act 1992

Subject to subsection (2), an inspector who enters premises in accordance with section 81 may, if the inspector believes it on reasonable grounds to be necessary for the purposes of this Act—

examine any animal in or on the premises; or

give assistance to any animal on the premises; or

inspect the premises and anything in or on the premises (including a document); or

take copies of, or extracts from, any document in or on the premises; or

take photographs or make films or videotapes of the premises or any animal or thing in or on the premises; or

seize anything (including a document), that the inspector believes on reasonable grounds to be connected with an offence; or

require any person in or on the premises to give the inspector such assistance as is reasonable to enable the inspector to exercise the inspector’s powers under this section; or

ask questions of any person in or on the premises where the inspector considers it reasonable to enable the inspector to exercise powers under this section.

An inspector must not—

give a document seized under subsection (1) to someone else (other than the authority); or

give a copy of a document inspected or seized under subsection (1) to someone else (other than the authority); or

communicate to someone else (other than the authority) the contents of a document inspected or seized under subsection (1); or

give any information obtained under subsection (1) to someone else (other than the authority).

Subsection (2) does not apply if the document or copy is given, or the communication is made for the purposes of the investigation or prosecution of an offence.

A person must take reasonable steps to comply with a requirement made of the person under subsection (1) (g).