Live Export

Sheep exporters reject phaseout co-design process invitation

Sheep Central January 20, 2025

Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton: no desire to legitimise the co-design process.

AUSTRALIAN livestock exporters have declined a Federal Government offer to participate in the co-design process for the phaseout of live sheep exports by sea.

Earlier this month the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry invited ALEC to attend a focus group to help maximise the value of a series of co-design workshops planned for Western Australia in February.

The department wrote that before it commenced the co-design workshops it would like to run some small online focus groups with peak bodies, to maximise the value of the co-design sessions on the ground.

The purpose of the focus groups is to hear directly from peak bodies to help DAFF identify key areas for co-design and help recruit the right people to contribute to this genuine co-design process. The workshops would determine the best way to allocate the $45.5 million set aside to assist sheep producers and supply chain businesses to transition away from live sheep exports, DAFF said.

However, Mr Harvey-Sutton has responded that ALEC continued to oppose “this harmful policy and consider there is no benefit in participating in this process.”

“It is simply a waste of time and departmental resources, and we refuse to legitimise it.

“At no stage during this term of government has there been a genuine intention to listen to national peak bodies on this policy that have been united in opposing it – why would the government start genuinely listening now?” Mr Harvey-Sutton said.

“In ALEC’s view, this is another example of the government showing how clueless they are as, at the 11th hour before an election, they are desperately turning towards industry seeking answers to a problem of their own creation.

“The government has claimed to have all the answers since this ban was initiated, but this process shows they are deeply bereft of any practical solutions to the mess they have created,” he said.

Mr Harvey-Sutton said the government has consistently low-balled the value of the live sheep export industry and the wide-ranging repercussions banning it will have.

“To ask industry to co-design how to divvy up a meagre $45m is undignified and is essentially a process of destroying rural businesses and communities and then asking them to fight over the loose change left over.

“ALEC will never concede on the fact that live sheep exports is a legitimate and important industry for the Australian sheep industry and the food security of our trading partners,” Mr Harvey-Sutton said.

Mr Harvey-Sutton said the number of markets the trade supplies is continuing to grow.

“As an industry it has a positive impact on animal welfare and is broadly supported by the community, despite the rhetoric of this government – which is cut and paste directly from activist briefings.”

Mr Harvey-Sutton said ALEC will be calling on all other organisations to not participate in this process if they feel that it is possible.

“Sadly, some will feel compelled as they feel they do not have any choice, given the harm this policy is causing, and they will seek to salvage what they can for their members.”

Mr Harvey-Sutton also said he hoped DAFF’s definition of peak councils did not include animal activist groups.

“When Minister Watt announced the phaseout in May 2024 he did so to a group of ‘peak councils’ including those groups.

“There were farmers on that call that had to hear their livelihoods were being taken away from them with an audience of activists watching,” he said.

“It would be egregious if this situation was going to be replicated again. These groups have no place being participants in your process.”

Sheep Producers Australia to attend the DAFF meetings

Sheep Producers Australia chief executive officer Bonnie Skinner said SPA is planning to attend the upcoming focus groups and workshops, but remains highly sceptical of the Federal Government’s co-design consultation’s ability to deliver assistance to affected producers.

“SPA’s role is to advocate for farmers during this unwanted and unjustified transition. We remain committed to providing advice that is wholly focused on the overall good of the industry and our members.

“At this early stage of the co-design process, the Government must make a genuine commitment to listening to and addressing the needs of the producers who are being forced to adapt to the illogical and unnecessary legislated ban of a critical and valued live export supply chain,” she said.

“The Federal Labor Government cannot continue to disregard the voices of farmers and rural communities as it has to date on this issue.”

The four focus groups will be held from 28-30 January and will be run by the ThinkPlace consultancy. ThinkPlace has been engaged by the department to provide independent and expert facilitation and co-design.

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Comments

  1. Gillian Fagg, January 20, 2025

    Totally agree with ALEC stand on this issue. Labor wasn’t interested in listening to our concerns or reading out submissions to the inquiry in regards to the live export ban. They have no idea of the devastation they are creating in rural communities and if they got out of the cities to see how the sheep numbers are already being reduced due to the impending ban I doubt whether they would even care. They are only worried about votes.

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