WA livestock operator Ben Sutherland left the recent federal government workshop in Albany on the live sheep export ban transition more frustrated than ever.
The President of the WA Livestock and Rural Transport Association, and face of the Keep The Sheep campaign, said he attended in “good faith” to highlight the risks and seek opportunities for members after exports by sea end in May, 2028.
But instead Sutherland said he came away with an overwhelming sense of doom that rural transporters would be left behind.
“It’s clear that all the warnings about the impact of the Albanese government’s live sheep export phase-out have fallen on deaf ears,” Sutherland said.
‘The Minister for Agriculture, Julie Collins, has said these workshops will help producers and the supply chain to ‘plan, respond and adapt’ and will be focussed on the future strength and sustainability of the industry.
‘How many times do we have to say it, minister?
‘You have knocked the confidence out of the WA sheep industry and transport businesses are making decisions about their future now.”
Sutherland said operators can’t afford to wait, while their equipment loses value and the equity in their businesses evaporates.
‘They can’t afford to wait for a transition process that has not got off the ground and shows no signs of delivering any real benefit for their businesses or the communities they live in.”
With a 25 per cent drop in WA’s sheep flock, Sutherland said work is already badly affected.
“The void is not being filled by an already inadequate processing sector or by transporting sheep to other states,” he said.
‘We know it is only going to get worse with another 25 per cent drop in sheep numbers on the horizon.
‘I could see no evidence at the workshop of a genuine attempt to understand where the supply chain finds itself.
‘Even if the sheep industry miraculously recovers, it will be too late for many rural transporters.
Sutherland said primary producers will find they don’t have access to professional transporters in their area and their costs will increase.
He also queried whether the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry was the best organisation to be leading these discussions.
‘As far as I’m concerned, the department is ticking a box to say they have consulted, which is condescending and insulting to rural transporters who have significant capital investment at risk.”
Farming groups were also scathing in their reponse to the workshops, calling them “too little, too late”, and poorly promoted with inadequate notice.
The federal government is holding 14 ‘co-design’ workshops this month.
The first eight, from February 3-7, focused on the key areas for transition as well as challenges and opportunities.
The remaining six, from February 17-21, will focus on designing possible transition packages.
Once all the co-design workshops have been completed, a report of the findings and recommendations will be drafted and shared with representatives from the supply chain for validation and input, according to the department’s website.
“Upon finalisation of the validation process the report will be shared with government.”
“This report will inform government’s consideration of how transition funding can best be allocated to support the industry through the transition.
“From there, final programs will be agreed by government, with programs expected to open in the 2025–26 financial year.”
In October 2024, the federal government announced a transition package of $139.7 million for the phase out of live sheep exports by sea.
The package includes $45.5 million for programs to be co-designed with the industry to assist sheep producers and the associated supply chain in preparing for the phase out.