Using your own working dogs in a station job

Key facts

Conditional source

Pastoral Award MA000035 clause33.3 [source]

What the current award provision says

Pastoral Award clause33.3 provides for a mutually agreed allowance for each dog when a stationhand is required by the employer to supply their own cattle or sheep dog for station purposes. It also addresses qualifying licence or registration fees for the period of use. This is a conditional award provision, not a universal fixed dog allowance for every farm worker or every dog taken to a workplace.

Check coverage and the actual requirement

Start with Fair Work’s award-coverage resources and the full current award. Keep the employer’s requirement to supply a working dog distinct from permission to bring a personal dog for companionship. Record which dogs are expected and the proposed work. If the applicable instrument or interpretation is unclear, seek the appropriate Fair Work or qualified advice rather than deciding from the job title alone.

Settle operational questions in writing

Discuss ownership, approved use, daily care, accommodation, transport and who can direct another person to handle the dog. Identify how concerns, injury or inability to work will be reported and who is authorised to arrange veterinary attention. These are matters for a properly considered agreement; this page does not imply that clause33.3 itself allocates every veterinary expense, insurance risk or ownership dispute.

Keep agreement and records together

Retain the written employment terms, dog-use arrangement and relevant expense evidence. Review the arrangement when dogs, duties or employment circumstances change. A privately drafted document cannot be assumed to displace applicable minimum entitlements. Resolve uncertain coverage or agreement questions through the appropriate official or qualified advice route. Record the agreed dogs, relevant periods of use and expense evidence so the arrangement can be reviewed accurately when circumstances change.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• Fair Work: Pastoral Award clause33.3 (opens in a new tab)
• Fair Work: Pastoral Award coverage (opens in a new tab)

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