Live sheep export inquiry: Three in four submissions against the ban

The parliamentary committee charged with scrutinising the live sheep export phase out decision has received an overwhelming number of submissions against the proposal.

Three in every four submissions to a parliamentary inquiry into shutting down live sheep exports by sea are against the federal government’s proposal to end the trade in four years.

Of the 73 submissions the House of Representatives standing committee on agriculture has received since the snap inquiry was launched less than two weeks ago, more than 76 per cent oppose the Albanese Government’s legislation making it illegal to export live sheep beyond May 1, 2028.

The legislation to formalise the end of the trade was introduced to parliament on May 30. The next day, hundreds of trucks and farm vehicles took to Perth’s CBD in protest, calling on the federal government to overturn its decision.

Days later, federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said he acknowledged the “strong views” on the policy, and called for an inquiry into the legislation before it was debated in parliament.

Submissions to the inquiry closed on Tuesday ahead of the first of two hearings examining the provisions of the Bill and its implications for the live sheep trade in Western Australia.

The majority of submissions were from affected WA farmers, usually running mixed cropping and sheep enterprises.

Generational sheep farmer Dylan Moltoni wrote of the economic devastation the ban would wreak on his family’s business, and Grant Alcock stated his intention to cull two-thirds of last year’s ewe lambs, sell all weathers and reduce his merino eye flock from 1400 to 700 as he navigates “this threat to ban live exports”.

The Shire of Wagin argued the ban on live sheep exports would have the unintended consequence of significantly affecting the wool industry, valued at $655 million in 2021-22 in WA.

“The ban will place 95 per cent of the Western Australian wool industry at risk,” it said. “The total effect will be a loss of 2322 jobs, and a loss of more than $1.2 billion from the Western Australian economy annually.”

WA’s Agriculture and Food Minister, Labor MP Jackie Jarvis maintained her government’s consistent opposition to the phasing out of the industry, but said she would advocate for a better deal for farmers, including prioritising increased meat processing capacity in WA and supporting on-farm feedlots.

WEDNESDAY INQUIRY

This concern was echoed by Australian Meat Industy Council chief executive Patrick Hutchinson at the hearing on Wednesday, who said the federal government’s five-year $107 million support package was “nowhere near enough” to address processing capabilities in WA.

This was supported by Alastair James of the Red Meat Advisory Council who said it was “inadequate and damaging”.

Animals Australia made a public plea for people to support the Bill and make a submission.

Sixteen submissions backed the legislation to end the trade, including the Alliance for Animals and Vets Against Live Export and a handful of private citizens.

The Albanese Labor government took the policy of ending live sheep exports by sea to the last two elections, and maintains it has the support of more than 70 per cent of West Australians.

The inquiry’s hearing in Canberra on Wednesday heard from the National Farmers’ Federation, Sheep Producers Australia, the Red Meat Advisory Council, Cattle Australia, the RSPCA and the Australian Alliance for Animals among other groups.

Sheep Producers chair Andrew Spencer said he was “unaware of any situation in the agricultural industry that reflects the same level as antagonosim as there is towards this policy”, while chief executive Bonnie Skinner said producers relied on the competitive tensions provided by the live export industry, and its contribution to a stable floor price.

“For producers, it’s about having as many market opportunities as possible, expanding processing capability isn’t going to address the issues,” she said.

When inquiry chair Labor MP Meryl Swanson said that the government had in fact consulted with the WA industry, Mr Spencer and Ms Skinner responded strongly.

“That was consultation on how to implement the policy, it was not consultation on the policy,” said Mr Spencer.

“There’s no analysis of competition forces, no analysis on economic impact, community sentiment, market development, genetic cycles. We have no answers for our producers on what has been publicly released,” said Ms Skinner.

The inquiry heard evidence from veterinarian Dr Lynn Simpson, who has completed 57 voyages on live export ships, her last in 2011, and said in her view “sheep are the most vulnerable of the animals we export at sea”.

While acknowledging the improvements made towards animal welfare since her last voyage, including changing stock densities, Dr Simpson said the drop in mortalities didn’t mean to a drop in morbidities.

Both Dr Simpson and Dr Jane Vaugh noted the heat stress sheep were subjected to on long voyages, and their susceptibility to hot humidity, were the reason they weren’t farmed in northern Australia.