PEAK body Sheep Producers Australia has signed a $50,000-plus contract to provide business administration services to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry relating to the live sheep trade phaseout transition process.

The DAFF contract CN 4153929 on the AusTender website specified a contract period of 27 March 2025 to 30 June 2025 for $50,758.13 for ‘strategy development assistance’ in the category of ‘business administration services.’

The contract prompted Keep the Sheep supporter Tim Montague to comment on X that SPA accepting money from DAFF for the transition package prior to the 3 May federal election was “very suss” considering SPA was “meant to be fighting with us.”

Mr Montague told Sheep Central he found it interesting that SPA signed the contract to accept money from DAFF before the election result was known, when a win for the Coalition would have reversed the proposed live sheep export ban.

The WA rural transporter said he posted the contract link to get opinions from people and did not have any issues with SPA contracting to provide services to DAFF.

“I am of the opinion that if you’ve got a vested interest in what’s going on, you’ve got to be at the table to hear what’s being said and what’s on offer, because there’s no point in being outside the room to get stuff for your members. …. you are not going to get anything.

“But I would have thought they would have waited until after the election, because there was a possibility it would have been overturned had the Liberal-National Coalition got in,” he said.

“Why would you sign up to something prior to that – questions need to be asked.”

SPA is working to prevent an information vacuum

SPA has confirmed it has been engaged to help inform the department’s advice to government about co-design finalisation and implementation options for the live export phase out transition assistance package.

Sheep Producers Australia chair Bindi Murray said without SPA’s involvement in providing strategic advice to the Australian government, there would be an information vacuum and a much worse outcome for sheep producers.

“SPA is best placed to undertake this role because of its strategic national focus and extensive networks within the sheep industry.

“SPA has been advocating for additional funding for producers which resulted in an additional $32.7 million added to the total $139.7 million live export transition package,” Ms Murray said.

“We are proud of our work to voice the concerns of affected producers and to support our industry during this tough time.

“SPA has opposed the phase-out of live sheep exports since the policy was first suggested and continues to oppose this decision while advocating for the best outcomes for the Western Australian sheep industry,” she said.

Federal Government treated WA industry with contempt – Hassell

Former WAFarmers president and National Farmers Federation vice president John Hassell said Sheep Producers Australia had a role to try to develop the sheep industry.

Mr Hassell is a director of Farming Families and Communities WA Ltd which initiated the Keep the Sheep campaign that lobbied against Labor in the recent WA and federal elections for a reversal of the Federal Government’s phaseout of live sheep exports by sea by 1 May 2028.

Mr Hassell did not see the SPA signing the contract as a betrayal of the Keep the Sheep campaign or the WA sheep industry.

“Not doing anything while everything else was going on was probably not wise, so no, they are trying to make sure the sheep industry survives and they had to get on the front foot.”

But Mr Hassell said the Federal Government’s $139.7 million transition package was inadequate.

“They are offering $2 million grants for people to develop the industry, how far is that going to go?

“The problem is that the Federal Government has treated us with contempt,” he said.

“We could probably live with it if they could develop industries in those towns that are going to lose the people and give us 10 years to transition out, but they were just too clever by half and they are really treating us like shit still.

“It’s a billion dollar industry, as is the wool industry, when you take the multiplier into account, and they are throwing about $140 million at us, it is a spit in the face,” Mr Hassell said.

“I’ve got no problem with Sheep Producers, but I’ve got a problem with the amount of it, shows that they are treating us with contempt.”

SPA should have been transparent about contract – McGuire

Kojonup sheep producer Steve McGuire said SPA should have been transparent about the contract when it was signed to manage any perception of a conflict of interest, but he is not “hung up” on SPA receiving money from DAFF to provide services.

“I just think everyone should know, that’s all … once you sign the contract you make it public.”

Mr McGuire would not comment in his role as WAFarmers president, referring Sheep Central to WAFarmers Livestock Council president Geoff Pearson, who said he wanted to review the contract details before making comment.

Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA president Tony Seabrook said after generations of producing sheep over 130 years his family’s flock was now down to “two pets and six killers” and the WA flock had dropped from

He questioned the justification for the existence of all the industry and government bodies that were supposed to help sheep producers when the WA sheep flock had gone from a peak of about 40 million in the 1990s to now about 8 million.

“Doesn’t that ring a few bells.”

He “absolutely” believed SPA should have been focusing on fighting for the retention of the live sheep trade rather than negotiating to provide transition services to DAFF.

“It’s probably dead, but nothing is dead until it is completely dead and it just simply comes down to ‘what have you done? … all my levy money, all my wool tax money, all of it, for what?”

ALEC still focused on reversing trade ban

Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council chief executive officer Mark Harvey-Sutton said he was unaware of the contract prior to seeing it on social media today.

“Clearly this unjust ban is a challenging issue for all representative organisations within the whole supply chain to deal with.

“At the end of the day, it is the prerogative of each organization to determine how best they can serve their members and how they wish to engage,” he said.

“At ALEC, we determined to fight the ban every step of the way given the disdain the WA sheep industry has been treated with.

“At every stage, the government has wilfully ignored the harmful impact the ban is already having on the WA sheep industry and our trading partners, and the rollout of the woefully inadequate and fanciful transition package has been farcical,” he said.

“ALEC’s approach in the lead up to the election was to focus on assisting the Keep the Sheep campaign to have the ban reversed, as in the end this is the only outcome that will prevent negative impact, and will be in the best interests of the WA sheep industry.

“This is a position ALEC still maintains.”

SPA did not address whether the contract was offered to SPA or if SPA offered to provide the services. Ms Murray also did not comment on why SPA did not disclose the signing of the contract before the federal election. Ms Murray also did not specify what resources and effort SPA has expended on retaining the live sheep trade, supporting the Keep the Sheep campaign, or investigating if WA sheep producers and industry players had a legal case for compensation from the Albanese Government. She did not comment on whether SPA would support a class action to take compensatory legal action if such a campaign was mounted. DAFF was contacted for comment.