Federal government bolsters offer to WA sheep farmers hit by live export ban by $32 million
After a backlash from farmers in WA, the federal government has announced an additional $32.7 million to help cushion sheep farmers from the decision to end live exports by 2028.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00So back in May, the federal government announced this plan to end Australia's live sheep exports
00:07by sea in May 2028, a decision that really just affects Western Australia.
00:13And it had been a long time coming.
00:15Federal Labor took this promise to two elections, but nevertheless, it was still met with really
00:21fierce backlash from WA farmers and industry.
00:25Now to soften the blow, the federal government came up with a so-called Transition Support
00:29Package.
00:30This was $107 million to help the industry wean off live exports, diversify, find new
00:38markets.
00:39But this figure was pretty immediately labelled as inadequate by both the industry and the
00:45WA Labor government, which has been really lobbying their federal counterparts, trying
00:51to squeeze more money out of them for this transition package, especially when live sheep
00:56have become such an election issue heading into both state and federal elections.
01:02So now in her first visit to Western Australia since taking on the agriculture portfolio
01:08in July, Minister Julie Collins will be in the state's southwest today, and she'll be
01:14announcing an extra $32.7 million for that Transition Support Package to help those
01:21communities diversify, also help with community wellbeing supports for those communities really
01:29anxious about this ban.
01:31You've seen in recent months the so-called Keep the Sheep campaign, those opposed to
01:36this ban taking their fight all the way to Canberra.
01:40We're yet to find out how they'll respond to this announcement and whether it'll make
01:45any difference to their plans to really campaign against Labor in key seats here in Western
01:51Australia to make them pay for this decision essentially.
01:55Meanwhile we know that the Coalition has vowed that if elected they would overturn this ban
02:01and reinstate the live sheep trade.