New law in WA will trash Australia's slack national standard for freerange eggs.

The long awaited Free Range Eggs Labelling Bill in Western Australia may become law on Tuesday (Oct 15) when it hits the WA Legislative Council. If it is passed into law, it will effectively trash the national “free range’ standard adopted by politicians under pressure from corporate producers and supermarket giants. The purpose of the Bill is:" to define and regulate the labelling and sale of free range eggs to ensure that only eggs produced in free range conditions can be labelled free range eggs in Western Australia." Key elements include regular access to an outdoor range area and a maximum stocking density of 1500 hens per ha. The Government of the Australian Capital Territory has already mandated that free range stocking density must be no more than 1500 hens per hectare instead of the 10,000 allowed under the national standard.