'Mobilised' and angry farmers meet federal MPs as live sheep export ban inquiry held in Northam
/ By Joanna Prendergast, Eliza Bidstrup, and Belinda VarischettiFarmers and agricultural leaders have gathered near Northam to speak with federal politicians as the committee investigating the government's legislation to ban live sheep exports by sea holds its only public hearing in WA today.
Readers are advised this article includes an image some may find distressing.
The Standing Committee on Agriculture is examining the provisions of the bill to end the trade and its application to the live sheep export trade.
On a foggy five-degree morning, cars lined both sides of the four kilometre drive way into the Muresk Institute, 100 kilometres north-east of Perth, with placards similar to those driven through Perth two weeks ago.
Lobby group WA Farmers wrote to its members on Thursday, asking for vehicles to be parked for maximum visual impact, and reminded them "a strong police presence will also be at Muresk, so ensure that there are no firearms present".
Senator Pauline Hanson drew applause from the crowd outside the hearing when she declared: "I will support (live export) to my death."
"This decision is based on politicians wanting to keep their seat at the next election," she said.
WA agriculture minister Jackie Jarvis did not attend the hearing in Northam today.
During a public submission period, some people struggled to speak through tears when voicing their fears about the mental health impact of removing live export as a market for sheep.
Christine Brown, who grazes sheep at Coomberdale 190km north-east of Perth, said transitioning to cropping or feedlotting was not an option for her family's 90-year-old grazing business due to its soil constraints.
"Don't tell me to diversify," she said.
"We run 8,000 sheep, they are the major part of our enterprise. We supply around 1,000 sheep a year to the live export trade; a ban of the live export of sea will mean the end of our business.
"If sheep farmers such as our family can't make a profit because of the ban on live export, if they can't pay their staff, if they can't meet their business overheads, the flow onto the local communities will be devastating.
"We are frustrated beyond words, we want to get on with the job of growing food and fibre."
Fremantle opposed but not due to smell
Fremantle mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge shared the City of Fremantle's position on live exports, which was to support a phase out in favour of onshore processing.
Her local government covers the main sheep live export port from WA at the Port of Fremantle.
"We are on the front line of live animal export and it's been a key issue for our community for a long time," she said.
"I would clarify that the issue is not the smell of the sheep ships, or the sight of the sheep in trucks, which can be quite confronting, but the fact that our community feels this is an inhumane practice and should be phased out."
A number of public submissions followed from Fremantle residents against the trade, leading to audible groans and a large walkout from the public gallery.
Former senator Chris Back called for a full senate inquiry and said government was "trashing our reputation" internationally, drawing comparisons between Agriculture Minister Murray Watt and then-agriculture minister Joe Ludwig in 2011 when he suspended the cattle trade.
"This is another bill that Australia cannot afford," Mr Back said.
What does he transition to?
In an emotional submission, sheep producer and president of the WA Shearing Industry Association Darren Spencer said government was preferencing the ideological agenda of animal activists over real-world impacts to 'ordinary Australians'.
He said he feared for the future of his members, including 30 staff in four shearing teams he manages.
"We are seeing sheep numbers falling dramatically ... every 100,000 sheep needs four shearers, four shed hands, a presser and a classes," he said.
"Already we have seen a drop of two million in the flock — that's 80 shearers, 80 shed hands, 20 pressers and 20 classes."
With his voice cracking, Mr Spencer spoke of a person with a disability who had become an invaluable member of his team after beginning as a rouseabout in his teens.
"He went on to become a wool presser, then a shearer. He never left Lake Grace and saved enough to purchase his own house and 36 years later he's still working for me, now in his 50s. What does he transition to?"
Second and final hearing
The event follows an emotional and heated day in Canberra on Wednesday, where the committee heard from live export and agricultural representative organisations along with groups opposed to the live trade, including independent veterinarian and former live export ship vet Lynn Simpson.
Dr Simpson told the hearing how she vividly remembered cutting a heat stressed sheep's throat, and found the blood to be "almost scalding", she said she then measured a core temperature of the animal of 47 degrees.
She worked on live export ships from 2001 to 2011.
Dr Simpson was scathing about conditions on board live sheep export ships and said heat stress of sheep on ships was a constant risk.
"I've certainly seen voyages with single tiers, good ventilation rate and a lower stocking density which equate to what we are seeing now, and I saw heat stress on every single one of them," she said.
"The mortality rate is down across the year now because they're not going through the summer moratorium period, they've taken the higher risk voyages out, but every other voyage does hold a risk."
Dr Simpson said she was not paid to share her experience or opinion.
In 2018, then-federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud initiated the McCarthy review after footage emerged showing almost 2,500 sheep dying from heat stress during a trip to the Middle East in 2017.
The review began a raft of changes designed to reduce heat stress and mortalities on live sheep ships, such as lower stocking densities, environmental monitoring and mandatory independent observers on ships.
In 2019, the government introduced a moratorium of sheep exports during the northern hemisphere summer.
Proponents of the live export industry argue these changes have radically improved welfare standards for sheep on live export ships.
A new campaign group Keep the Sheep has raised $300,000 to fund its bid to defend the live trade industry.
Its online petition calling for government to overturn its policy has garnered more than 52,000 signatures.
Northern cattle industry backing sheep producers
After speaking at Wednesday's hearing, which he labelled predetermined and a box-ticking exercise, Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association chief executive Will Evans flew from Darwin to Perth to attend today's meeting.
In its submission to the inquiry, the association questioned the government's claims to a mandate to end the trade, arguing it had obfuscated its position during the lead-up to the 2021 election.
Mr Evans said his group had to fight to appear on Wednesday, but was not given an opportunity to properly present its case.
"This is bad policy making. This sets concerning precedents, it's dangerous and is hurtful to people. It's something government should not be doing," he said.
Mr Evans slammed the speakers in the last session of Wednesday's hearing in Canberra, which included groups such as the RSPCA, Vets Against Live Exports, the Australian Alliance for Animals and two veterinarians, saying they were not acting in good faith.
"Some of those organisations have regulatory roles, so it's really disappointing, it's really concerning that this has become about a political campaign for them and not about the best interests of animal welfare," Mr Evans said.
Australian Livestock Exporters Council chair David Galvin shared a similar sentiment in Wednesday's hearing, saying the inquiry was a waste of time and the recommendation to pass the legislation a fait accompli.
"The agricultural industry has mobilised in a manner I have never seen, and make no mistake, the inquiry will not be the end of it," he said.