Victoria flags national livestock agent licensing scheme

Livestock agents in Victoria could soon be part of a national licensing regime, according to the state’s Agriculture Minister Ros Spence.

Agriculture Minister Ros Spence says the push is on for national licensing of livestock agents.

Victoria has joined other states in taking the first steps to developing a national licensing regime for livestock agents, according to the state’s Agriculture Minister Ros Spence.

But it appears the national body charged with overseeing the process, SAFEMEAT, has put the proposal on the backburner.

The state opposition raised the issue of licensing with Ms Spence in October, after a producer lost $40,000 on an export consignment of dairy cattle, sold by an agent who failed to pay.

The producer’s lawyer, Patrick Holt, said repeated attempts to recover the money from the agent had failed, despite the exporter confirming payment had been made last year.

“The matter has since been referred to Victoria Police by our clients, but no monetary recovery has been made,” Mr Holt said.

Opposition agriculture spokeswoman Emma Kealy said the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association had advised that while agents were required to hold a license to practice in NSW and Queensland, that was not the case in Victoria.

Ms Kealy asked Ms Spence what protections were in place in Victoria to protect against unscrupulous people purporting to be a stock agent.

Ms Spence responded by stating Agriculture Victoria in partnership with the national SAFEMEAT body were in discussions “to progress a national licensing framework for livestock agents”.

But SAFEMEAT chair John Webster said while “it’s true in years gone by the issue of a national set of standards for licensing of livestock agents had been discussed … (but) it’s not on our list of things to chase.”

Ms Kealy said if the problem was recognised at the national level “then it was up to the minister to follow up with SAFEMEAT on why it’s not a priority”.

“She (Ms Spence) said this is going to be the solution,” Ms Kealy said. “Otherwise we will continue to have producers being ripped off by dodgy agents”.

Agents contacted by The Weekly Times, admitted that anyone could call themselves a livestock agent.

But major agents said they offered del credere, whereby they guarantee payment, and that using private agents was a risk, even if they offered better terms.