# New Zealand animal welfare advocacy and scrutiny > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/new-zealand-animal-welfare-advocacy-and-scrutiny > Updated: 2026-08-18T08:45:49.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2. The animal rights organization SAFE has intensified its focus on New Zealand’s animal welfare standards through both legislative scrutiny and public campaigning. In mid-August 2026, concerns were raised regarding a potential conflict of interest within the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC). SAFE argued that the committee’s credibility is undermined by the continued membership of Sandra Faulkner, who serves on NAWAC while also holding the position of Vice President of Federated Farmers, the nation’s largest agricultural lobby group. SAFE maintains that the presence of senior leadership from a group advocating for commercial farming interests compromises the impartial guidance the committee is intended to provide to the government. Concurrently, SAFE has launched a national campaign and petition to end factory farming in New Zealand. The initiative calls for an independent review of the country’s animal welfare legislative framework to phase out intensive farming systems. The group cites research suggesting that 78% of New Zealanders are concerned about factory farm animal welfare and seeks to translate this public sentiment into meaningful legislative reform. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-18: SAFE launches campaign to end factory farming in New Zealand Animal advocacy group SAFE has launched a national campaign and petition calling for an end to factory farming in New Zealand and a review of animal welfare legislation. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/safe-launches-campaign-to-end-factory-farming-in-new-zealand ### 2026-08-13: New Zealand animal welfare committee faces conflict of interest claims Animal rights group SAFE claims New Zealand’s National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee faces a conflict of interest after a member retained her seat despite becoming Vice President of Federated Farmers. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/new-zealand-animal-welfare-committee-faces-conflict-of-interest-claims --- Cite as: New Zealand animal welfare advocacy and scrutiny. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/new-zealand-animal-welfare-advocacy-and-scrutiny