Talks on the end of live sheep exports begin as ‘consultation panel’ visits Perth

The head of the panel tasked with leading consultation on Labor’s live sheep export phase-out has admitted the policy will “adversely affect” WA farmers but says he wants to help them “make the best of it”. In an exclusive sit-down interview with Countryman, panel chair Phillip Glyde said its four members wanted to meet as many affected stakeholders as possible while in Perth this week. Mr Glyde declined to reveal his own opinion on the ban, describing it as “irrelevant”, but said he hoped to visit sheep producers on their own properties during the panel’s next WA trip in mid-to-late April. “We’re trying to meet with as people as we can, and trying to cover the whole of the supply chain and all of those who have a view on the phase-out,” he said. “At the moment, we’re talking to representative organisations, which is important. . . but there’s no substitute for getting down and talking to people who are more involved at the farm level — the individual players in the industry.” The panel — including prominent WA farmer Sue Middleton, retired Northern Territory Labor MP Warren Snowdon and former RSPCA chief executive Heather Neil — must submit a report to Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt by late September. “That doesn’t leave us much time to get across the detail of how the industry works, who the players are, and what are going to be the consequences of this transition,” Mr Glyde said. “There’s a lot of detail in that and a lot to understand, which is why we’re really keen to hear from the people that are going to be directly affected one way or another by the policy.” The panel convened in Perth on Monday morning for its first face-to-face meeting, before holding talks with prominent livestock market analyst Matt Dalgleish and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development staff. Consultation began in earnest on Tuesday, when the panel met with senior representatives from WAFarmers, Elders and the RSPCA, as well as policy advisors for WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis, who was unavailable on the day. Meetings were expected to be held across the rest of the week — after Countryman went to print — with a slew of industry stakeholders, lobby groups and businesses. These included the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, the WA Livestock Exporters’ Association, the Livestock and Rural Transport Association of WA, Sheep Producers Australia, Emanuel Exports, WA Meat Marketing Co-operative, CBH, Nutrien, and various farm consultants. Many of those parties have pledged not to take part in discussions about phasing out the trade, vowing in a joint letter to WA Premier Mark McGowan on Monday that they would instead approach the consultation process “as another platform to argue for policy change”. However, Mr Glyde said he was not expecting a hostile reception. “That’s the prerogative of those groups to do that,” he said. “By all means, campaign against that scenario occurring — that’s fine, I can understand that, it’s democracy — but in terms of (the panel) making recommendations to the Agriculture Minister, it’d be a shame if we missed out on those perspectives. “Make it known to us that you don’t support the policy, but at the same time, let us know what we can do to ease that transition should it occur — and the government has made it pretty clear that it’s going to occur.” Mr Glyde, who was approached by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to join the panel, said its job was to “help the government find the best way to implement the policy”. Asked what expertise he brought to the table, the former Murray Darling Basin Authority CEO and senior public servant cited six years of experience consulting with “adversely impacted stakeholders”. “I guess I’ve had a background in talking with and trying to engage stakeholders on really difficult and challenging topics,” he said. “Talking to the affected parties is the best way to go to build that understanding so you can provide advice to government. . . and hopefully benefit the industry in the long run. “Clearly this sort of policy change will adversely affect the industry, so how do we make the best of it?” Mr Glyde was also deputy secretary of the Federal Agriculture Department in 2011 when the Julia Gillard Labor Government imposed a snap ban on live cattle exports to Indonesia, after footage emerged of Australian cattle being cruelly treated in Indonesian abattoirs. “I bring that knowledge of what the system used to be, and the knowledge of working through with the industry, starting the trade up again, and I’ve spent quite a few years being lobbied by all the different stakeholders,” he said. “That’s why I’ve always been interested in the live animal export industry and in agriculture more broadly, so I’m keen to make sure that the livestock industry continues. “While the trade by sea is being curtailed, I’m keen to help out to try and find a good solution to the future of the sheep and associated industries in WA. “I’ve always felt that that’s an important thing to contribute, and that’s my motivation.”