Australian Government swallows Egg Corp con

According to the latest letter from the Australian Government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (dated 24th November 2011), the Department accepts the bluster from the Australian Egg Corporation that the Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Domestic Poultry does not specify an upper limit on stocking densities for free range hens. In reality, the Model Code makes it clear that 1500 birds per hectare is the maximum density for free range egg laying hens, but higher densities may be permitted for meat birds if continuing fodder cover can be maintained. The Code is perfectly clear. A maximum density of 1500 birds per hectare is in place for egg laying hens designated as 'free range'. That has been used as the standard for many years - even by the AECL for its Egg Corp Assured program.
But the issue may be resolved by the Ausralian Competition and Consumer Commission. Formal complaints have been lodged by a number of organisations, including the Free Range Egg & Poultry Association of Australa, and various individual egg farmers about the interpretation of the Model Code and the Egg Corp plans to allow increased stocking densities.

Fight over the name Egg Standards Australia

This could be the new logo and trade mark for the updated version of the Australian Egg Corporation's quality assurance program.
AECL claimed that all the paperwork was with the ACCC, but that was denied by the ACCC. There have been a number of objections to the proposed name and trade mark application and all the paperwork is still with IP Australia which says it is unlikely to make any decision before 2012.
It seems that Standards Australia will not be happy with the proposed name as it clearly implies that the standard has been developed by Standards Australia when it really is just an industry proposal cobbled together by a private company - the Australian Egg Corporation Ltd.
In its latest newsletter, AECL says that the new standards, logo and trade mark should be ready for approval by the Board in April (next month) and will be revealed to AECL members in May.
We somehow doubt that timeframe will be met. All previous deadlines have been missed and if this application isn't processed until next year, it will be back to the drawing board for the AECL!