Live export consultation roadshow ends in Esperance after turbulent week

A five-day consultation roadshow ended in Esperance on Friday as the Albanese Government progresses plans to shut down live sheep exports, with more than 1000 farmers turning up throughout the week to have their say. The four-person consultation panel was inundated with testimony from angry livestock producers and grain growers, who warned the policy would have devastating flow-on effects in regional WA and must be scrapped. The panel held its first meeting in Moora on Monday, April 17, and was due to hold the last of seven in Albany last Thursday. But a final session was hastily arranged on the Friday morning after calls from Central Wheatbelt MLA Mia Davies and Esperance grower group ASHEEP. ASHEEP chair David Vandenberghe estimated up to 100 farmers attended the meeting at Esperance Civic Centre. It followed a private meeting between ASHEEP members and the panel the night before, and public meetings in Narrogin, Wagin, Katanning and Cranbrook. Mr Vandenberghe, who runs a busy mixed cropping and Merino sheep enterprise near Scaddan, between Norseman and Esperance, said he believed the panel had been given an “impossible task to sugar coat” the ban. “It was good to have a private meeting with them in that you take out the background noise from some of the people who are upset about the policy,” he said. “We’re not happy about it either, but we were able to get some decent points across without the slinging match. “I gathered from the panel that they were surprised by the flow on effects and what it will mean for the industry.” What was intended to be a series of low-key meetings with “targeted gatherings” of stakeholders, including grower groups, snowballed after details were leaked on social media two days before the panel’s visit. Farmers turned out in force despite being in the middle of seeding, with the Katanning meeting attracting the biggest crowd of about 200 people. York farmer Tony Seabrook, president of the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, said the PGA would continue lobbying for the ban to be scrapped before the next Federal election. “That’s going to require, vigorous, active lobbying by grower groups… and I was over in Canberra three weeks ago doing exactly that,” he said. “We need to be in Canberra, convincing the Labor party that this is not such a bright idea. “They got less than one third of the primary vote across the length and breadth of the nation, so it’s not that much of a mandate, but they are hiding behind the statement that it’s part of the electoral platform, and because of party solidarity — which doesn’t seem to exist in the conservative parties — no one will break ranks.” CONSULTATION PROCESS ‘A FARCE’ WA Nationals deputy leader Colin de Grussa has called for the consultation process to be extended until mid-2024, while Ms Davies labelled it a “farce”. “The dates were announced with very little notice, right in the middle of seeding, and ignored the eastern Wheatbelt completely,” Ms Davies said. “I personally believe the forums are just a tick and flick exercise for the Labor Government to say they consulted. “But if they’re going to do it, they should do it properly and give the people they’re ripping a business out from under the chance to have their say.” Mr de Grussa, who has outlined his request in a letter to Senator Watt, told Countryman the panel needed more time to gather all the information it needed. “I’d like to see the consultation period pushed back at least to the end of the year, but preferably the middle of next year,” he said. “The Government has said that the trade would be operational until 2025 at the least so there’s plenty of time to consult and get it right.” Federal Labor pledged to ban live sheep exports in the lead-up to last year’s election, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said a phase-out will not occur during the current term of government. The consultation panel includes senior public servant Phillip Glyde, prominent WA farmer Sue Middleton, former RSPCA chief executive Heather Neil and retired Northern Territory Labor MP Warren Snowdon. It was appointed in early March to consult with industry on how and when to phase out the $92 million trade, and must submit its final report to Federal Agriculture Minister Senator Watt in late September. JARVIS ‘NOT INVITED’ TO TALKS WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis expressed “disappointment” with Senator Watt’s office after she was not invited to last week’s consultation, saying she only found out about the panel’s visit a day before its first meeting. “My office have already communicated with Minister Watt’s office that we would have liked more notice, and we would have liked to have been a bit more involved,” Ms Jarvis told reporters in Perth on April 19. “I only found out about the sessions… late Sunday afternoon; obviously my calendar was already full, so I haven’t been to any of the sessions. “My understanding is that the communication has been less than ideal… it is disappointing that there wasn’t more notice given.” Ms Jarvis later told Countryman she spoke with Senator Watt that same night and “conveyed my concerns”. “Minister Watt advised me that the panel began inviting regional grower groups and industry representatives to the meetings two weeks ago, with others invited more recently,” she said. “He also advised that the panel did not originally intend these meetings to be large ‘town hall’ style events. “My office was informed of the panel’s intention to hold a regional roadshow in WA but not any specific details. “This information was not passed onto me and I was not formally invited to the meetings, as they were aimed at industry groups. “At no point has the WA Government been a part of these proceedings. “I thank WA producers for taking the time to engage with the panel, and I will continue to stand up for our industry.” Senator Watt’s office was contacted for comment. FARMERS REACT Farmers at the Albany meeting flagged concerns about the economic impacts of a ban, saying Australia lacked the domestic processing capacity to replace the trade and that Labor’s policy had already delivered a blow to industry confidence. The need for heavy investment into export-quality abattoirs to replace live export was raised by multiple farmers, who said significant government funding would be needed. Others argued removing Australia — which has the tightest live export standards and regulations in the world — from the equation would negatively impact animal welfare outcomes. South Stirlings’ farmer Derek Curwen said he believed the panel was “acting in good faith” but questioned what the Albanese Government would do with its report. “The cynic in me says that the Labor Government will hide that report because they don’t want to listen to the outcomes, because they’ve got a predetermined idea about where this industry is going,” Mr Curwen said. Stirlings to Coast Farmers chair Sandy Forbes said uncertainty about the sheep industry’s future would be particularly detrimental to the next generation of farmers. “I looked at all the young people in the audience today and I feel really sorry for them,” Ms Forbes said. “They’ve taken up the reigns of what was a bit of a shadow industry to cropping in terms of technology and improvement of production. “I really respect and admire them for doing that and I feel disappointed that now there is a lack of confidence that has been created by this decision.” The Albany meeting attracted about 100 people after originally being scheduled to take place in a room with capacity for no more than 20. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Glyde apologised for the “angst” caused as a result of the panel’s failure to publicly advertise its visit. “We ended up causing people a bit of angst as a result, but what it has meant now is that we are going to be able to talk to, listen to and have questions posed to us from 1000 people,” he said. “I’m quite pleased with the outcome while acknowledging that we probably didn’t get it right in the way we planned to do it.”