Renee and Aaron Winfield: AzRen Farms owners face Busselton Court over ‘serious’ biosecurity breaches

A South West couple supplying boutique lamb direct to consumers across WA have been stung with a combined 52 charges after allegedly failing to transfer the ownership of nearly 12,000 sheep and selling untagged livestock to an abattoir. Renee Helen Winfield, 47, and Aaron John Winfield, 44, fronted Busselton Magistrates Court on Tuesday in relation to what police have alleged were “serious breaches” of WA’s Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act. Mr and Mrs Winfield run AzRen Farms at Elgin in the Shire of Capel, which they founded in 2014, and which includes a lamb feedlot with a turnover of 25,000 head per year. In recent years, they have started supplying lamb direct to consumers, sending meat as far north as Kununurra and Port Hedland. A WA Police spokesman said the alleged breaches — between March 2021 and November 2022 — included “having sheep at an abattoir in the South West of the State bearing no identifying features, such as a National Livestock Identification System device or NLIS tag”. The pair are also alleged to have purchased 11,938 sheep from 16 different suppliers, some over multiple transactions, and failing to transfer ownership on the NLIS within 48 hours. Mr and Mrs Winfield have each been charged with two counts of “possessed or controlled a live animal which was not appropriately identified”, and 24 counts of “owner caused or permitted stock to be moved to a property without the same PIC (property identification code) and did not within 48 hours record details in the NLIS database”. The pair appeared in court unrepresented, with Mr Winfield telling the magistrate they had contacted a lawyer but required more legal advice. They did not enter pleas but both acknowledged they understood the charges. No further details were read out and the matter was adjourned until late March. The NLIS is Australia’s system for the identification and traceability of cattle, sheep and goats, requiring all livestock to be identified by a visual or electronic eartag or device. All physical locations of livestock are identified via a property identification code, with location data and movements recorded in a central database. The importance of livestock traceability was thrust into the spotlight early last year following outbreaks of lumpy skin disease and foot and mouth disease in Indonesia. State and Federal authorities have since been working overtime to prevent the two diseases reaching Australia, which would see meat, dairy, wool and live export trades frozen overnight, costing the nation’s economy billions of dollars. Detective Senior Constable James Griffiths, from the financial crimes squad’s rural crime team, said the requirements to identify livestock and their movements between properties were critical to maintaining the integrity of the industry. “In the event of a disease outbreak, or other critical issue, being able to immediately establish where specific livestock are, and other livestock that could have potentially become contaminated, is crucial,” he said. “The NLIS is there to protect industry members and the broader community, and police will continue to work with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to identify and prosecute any breaches of those national requirements.” DPIRD declined to comment.