Have Your Say: “Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes” 

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The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is currently reviewing Australia’s rules for how animals can be used in experiments. They’ve released a public survey to gather people’s views on what needs to change. This is an important chance to push for stronger protections for animals, better oversight, and clearer reporting on how animals are used. Right now, Australia’s system is much weaker than in many other countries. Most of the responsibility for ensuring animal experiments comply with the law is left to the institutions that conduct it, which means they’re largely policing themselves. There is very little outside monitoring, and almost no real consequences when the rules are broken.

PETA Australia will be making a comprehensive submission to the NHMRC urging them to end all experiments on animals, and directing them to PETA UK’s Research Modernisation Deal which outlines a strategy for doing just that. We are asking our supporters to use the information below to submit to the survey themselves, highlighting other important issues for consideration by the NHMRC, primarily ending experiments where we hope that a significant impact can be made to save tens of thousands of animals lives and limit severe suffering.

The survey can be accessed here (bottom of the page: “Have your say online survey”). The closing date for submissions is 16 February 2026.

Suggestions for responding to questions:

1. Are you responding as an individual or on behalf of an institution?
As an individual

2. What type of institution or organisation are you associated with?
Not applicable

3. What is the name of your institution?
Leave blank

4. What best describes you or your role?
Other, then specify N/A

5. Do you currently use, or have you recently used (within the last 5 years), animals for scientific purposes (including for teaching)?
No

Questions 6-8 need not be answered

9. What are the CRITICAL issues that should be addressed during the review of the Code?
[To copy and paste]
The NHMRC must ban the use of animals in sepsis experiments. Scientific reviews show that attempting to model sepsis in animals simply doesn’t reflect the human condition. 150 potential new drugs appeared effective at treating sepsis in animals, yet none have proved successful for humans. These experiments cause severe suffering, with animals often experiencing pain, fever, and organ failure before being killed. Australia must end sepsis experiments on animals and shift resources toward more humane and human‑relevant, non‑animal methods.

The NHMRC must immediately ban using animals in an attempt to investigate intimate partner violence, including strangulation and traumatic brain injury experiments. These experiments expose animals—including pregnant females—to severe trauma, such as having weights dropped onto their skulls or being restrained in devices that apply pressure to the neck to mimic non‑fatal strangulation. At least one Australian institution, Monash University, is conducting these experiments using NHMRC funding. With the suffering caused to animals and the availability of human‑relevant non-animal methods, these experiments are unjustifiable.

Additional areas where animal use should end include:

• attempting to investigate the effects of alcohol, tobacco, nicotine and vaping products;
• pyrogenicity, skin irritation/corrosion, eye irritation/corrosion, skin sensitisation, bioaccumulation, and acute fish toxicity tests;
• all cosmetics and household products tests, including their ingredients, to close loopholes under chemical regulations;
• the production of antibodies;
• live animal use in primary and secondary education.

The NHMRC should enhance transparency by publishing annual national statistics, project applications (both pending approval and approved), non-technical summaries for all approved projects, retrospective project evaluations, and annual reports on regulatory activity, including violations of the Code and penalties.

The NHMRC must harmonise standards at both the national and institutional level for reviewing and approving project applications. All project applications must be reviewed by experts in non-animal methods and be open to public comment before being authorised. The NHMRC must demonstrate how replacement or use of non-animal methods has been prioritised.

Provide decapods with full protection under the Code. These are sentient animals who, without inclusion, anyone can use in experiments without oversight.

10. Are there any CRITICAL gaps in the guidance provided in the Code?N/A

11. What approaches used in the Code work well?
N/A

12. What approaches used in the Code do NOT work well?
N/A

13. Are there any other comments that you would like to make?
[To copy and paste]
Policies are changing around the world to accelerate the transition to non-animal methods. Australia must keep pace by adopting a strategy to end experiments on animals with ambitious goals and measurable targets.

Don’t forget to hit “Submit Response” when finished.