‘A disgrace’: Date set for sheep export ban

The export of live sheep by sea from Australia will be banned from May 2028, enraging farmers and peak agricultural groups describing the four-year timeline as a "slap in the face" that would have dire outcomes. 

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the legislation would be enacted in this term of Parliament, delivering one of Labor's election commitments. 

Senator Watt additionally confirmed a $107m transition package, to enable an “orderly and well-planned transition away from the trade”.  

The minister made the announcement in Western Australia, where almost all live sheep exports begin their journey. 

Farmers and industry groups are enraged by the announcement, describing the support package as “pitiful” and “paltry”. 

Chairman of the West Australian Livestock Exporters Association (WALEA), John Cunnington stated: “This isn’t about science; it is politics and dirty back room deals. This is people’s livelihoods that they are playing with and it’s absolutely disgusting. 

“A three-year phase out is a slap in the face to the investment and work that has gone into building this industry that has provided so much support to the WA sheep industry,” Mr Cunnington said. 

Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC) CEO, Mark Harvey-Sutton denounced the Government’s announcement of the package for the phase out of live sheep by sea as a “disgrace” saying it was clear that the Government was “throwing out Australia’s vital agricultural industries in favour of activist ideologies”. 

“This is a paltry package that completely ignores the complexity of the Australian sheep farming supply chain,” Mr Harvey-Sutton said. 

“It’s an insulting way to attempt to compensate for a ban that will decimate WA farmers and their families,” Mr Harvey-Sutton said. 

CEO of WoolProducers Australia, Jo Hall believes the government’s decision is far removed from agriculture and the people who work in and rely on the industry. 

“The government chooses to add to the burden of the current situation - enough is enough,” Ms Hall said.  

Bonnie Skinner, CEO of Sheep Producers Australia (SPA), believes the ramifications of the decision will score far deeper than the sheep industry, with the entirety of Australian agricultural feeling bruised in the wake of Saturday’s announcement. 

“This is an issue of precedent and trust, not just for the Australian sheep industry but for Australian agriculture,” she said. 

If the industry and regional communities are to have faith that there will be “no one held back, no one left behind” under the current Labor government, public policy processes must be evidence-based, strategic, inclusive, and collaborative.  

"This announcement further erodes what little trust existed between producers and the Federal Government and this will leave them and their rural communities behind,” Ms Skinner said. 

Mr Harvey-Sutton said the timing of the announcement was particularly galling, given Minister Murray Watt's prominent attendance at Beef 2024. “Just this week, Minister Watt was shaking hands with people who depend on live export at Beef Australia and hearing first-hand the devastating impacts of the 2011 ban. Yet, unfortunately, the first thing he does after that is fly straight to Perth to breeze in and shut live sheep exports down,” Mr Harvey-Sutton said. 

The decision has further been disparaged by other export industries, with CEO of Cattle Australia (CA) Dr Chris Parker, declaring the Australian cattle industry stood by its sheep producer colleagues. 

“This announcement is a kick in the guts for our rural and regional communities and has exposed just how out of touch this government is with the agriculture industry – one of the biggest contributors to the Australian economy and an integral part of our social fabric,” Dr Parker said. 

“This decision will send shivers down the spine of the live cattle industry for fear they will be next.” 

The RSPCA has embraced the announcement, with its Australian boss saying: "A swift and orderly phase-out of live sheep export, with appropriate measures to safeguard animal welfare in the meantime, is the right decision for Australian sheep and Australian farmers.” 

The Federal Opposition has announced its intention to resume the trade if successful in the upcoming election. 

"Industry has not been given a clear scientific explanation for why the closure of the industry is necessary," Nationals Leader David Littleproud said.  

Mr Watt repeated his government's commitment that the ban would not extend to other industries such as cattle as some exporters feared.