Become a member
Donate
Campaigning to end battery cages sooner by bringing forward the phase-out date in NSW. This group supports legislative reform, public awareness, and community pressure to protect hens from extreme confinement.
Free Hens – Bring the Date Forward! Working Group
Group Status: Active
This is horrendous animal abuse on an unimaginable scale.
Around 12 million hens are currently confined in battery cages in Australia. Battery cages severely restrict movement and prevent hens from expressing natural behaviours such as nesting, perching, and wing stretching.
In NSW, the government committed in 2022 to a phase-out of battery cages by 2036 following a seven-year review of the poultry industry. This timeline allows the continued use of cages for more than a decade and does not meet community expectations for animal welfare.
A 2036 phase-out date means billions of hens will continue to live in extreme confinement despite clear evidence that battery cages cause significant suffering.
Other jurisdictions have already acted.
The European Union banned conventional battery cages in 2012.
New Zealand completed its phase-out of battery cages in 2022.
Several US states have also ended or restricted the use of battery cages.
NSW can and should do better.
 |
 |
What this working group does
The Free Hens – Bring the Date Forward working group campaigns to end battery cages sooner by bringing forward the phase-out date in NSW.
The group focuses on:
• supporting legislative reform
• building public pressure for faster change
• supporting our MP Emma Hurst’s work in Parliament
• community education and advocacy
This working group meets online, usually once a month. Meetings are used to share updates, discuss priorities, and plan next steps for the campaign. You do not need to be based in a particular location to take part.
How to get involved
This is an active working group.
To join, email [email protected] and include:
• Free Hens – Bring the Date Forward
• Your name and email address
• If you would like, you can also mention how you might like to be involved.
Supporters can contribute in different ways depending on time and skills, including research, submissions, outreach and campaign support.
Working Group achievements and highlights
• In 2025, more than 11,000 people across NSW signed the Free Hens petition calling for a faster phase-out of battery cages.
• Volunteers and supporters gathered signatures through community outreach and local campaigning across the state.
• Our MP Emma Hurst formally presented the petition to the NSW Government, bringing the call for change directly into Parliament.
• The issue was raised during Budget Estimates, where Emma Hurst questioned the Minister for Agriculture on when NSW will set a legislated end date for battery cages.
 |
 |
These actions ensured the issue of battery cages remained visible, publicly accountable, and on the parliamentary record.
Take Action for Hens
Sign our petition
