Meat & Livestock Australia has confirmed a revised go-live date of late-2027 for the next-generation National Livestock Identification System database, following a comprehensive review and reset of the project’s delivery timeline.

The revised schedule reflects a deliberate decision to prioritise thorough design validation, testing and delivery assurance to ensure NLIS 2.0 meets the long-term needs of Australia’s red meat industry, MLA said in a statement.

The project, led by MLA’s Integrity Systems business unit, is now progressing through a build and testing program, supported by a strengthened delivery approach, independent technical validation and additional specialist expertise.

MLA managing director Michael Crowley said resetting the timeline was a necessary step to ensure the new platform delivers the reliability, security and functionality the industry expects.

“NLIS is the backbone of Australia’s livestock traceability system and has played a critical role in protecting our industry’s reputation for biosecurity, food safety and market access for more than 25 years,” Mr Crowley said.

“Modernising a system of this scale and complexity is a significant undertaking, and our priority has always been to get it right rather than compromise on the quality or capability of the finished platform.

“The revised timeline reflects the additional due diligence undertaken to validate the design, strengthen delivery arrangements and ensure we have the right foundations in place for a successful rollout.”

The revised delivery approach follows an extensive review of system requirements, independent validation of the platform’s design and the successful completion of a proof-of-concept exercise, the statement said.

The proof-of-concept tested three real-world livestock traceability scenarios, including livestock device issuance, property-to-property movements and loss of lifetime traceability, with all three successfully meeting their requirements.

The revised delivery schedule was endorsed by the NLIS Uplift Governance Group this month, with the project continuing and without reductions to scope or quality.

Mr Crowley said these measures had established a stronger foundation for the full build and implementation of NLIS 2.0.

“We have taken the time to thoroughly test the proposed solution, strengthen project oversight and ensure the delivery approach is capable of meeting the complex requirements of Australia’s livestock supply chain,” Mr Crowley said.

“That work has provided greater confidence in the design and delivery process, and the focus is now firmly on building, testing and implementing the new platform.”

The build program will progressively deliver and validate key components of NLIS 2.0, followed by comprehensive system integration testing and user acceptance testing from across the livestock supply chain ahead of the planned late-2027 go-live.

Once operational, NLIS 2.0 will deliver an improved user experience, enhanced data security, more efficient processing and analysis capabilities, and stronger integration with other supply chain systems, MLA said.

Importantly, the existing NLIS database will continue to operate throughout the development and transition period, maintaining livestock traceability services for industry.

“The current NLIS database remains robust and continues to support millions of livestock movements, including the ongoing implementation of sheep and goat electronic identification,” Mr Crowley said.

“Industry can be assured that existing traceability arrangements will continue while we deliver a modern, secure and reliable system that will serve Australian livestock producers and the wider supply chain for decades to come.”

MLA said it will continue to provide industry and government stakeholders with regular project updates, demonstrations of new functionality and information to support the transition to NLIS 2.0.

The NLIS Database Uplift Project is a major project to improve Australia’s livestock traceability platform. The project, which kicked off in July 2023, is administered by Integrity Systems Co and supported by a $22.5 million Australian Government funding grant.

The project was originally expected to be completed by June 2026.

For more information visit: NLIS 2.0

Source: MLA