Agriculture Minister Julie Collins denies 'flying under the radar' with live export transition announcement

Australia Broadcast Center

6 days ago

The federal agriculture minister has rejected suggestions she is avoiding sheep farmers and industry representatives during a lightning visit to Western Australia.
Julie Collins was in the state on Tuesday to reveal more details of the transition assistance package underpinning the ban of live sheep exports by sea.
Ms Collins travelled to the saleyards at Muchea, 50 kilometres north of Perth, to reveal a $139.7-million package minimally changed from a draft leaked in April this year.
The package includes $40m for WA's processing supply chain capacity, $30m for farmers transitioning away from sheep, $2.2m to assist shearers looking for different work and $1.5m for the transport industry.
The announcement, made alongside WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis, was immediately criticised by farmers and industry representatives who suggested Ms Collins was trying to "fly under the radar".
After the announcement Ms Collins told the WA Country Hour the industry had been fully informed ahead of the visit.
"We've now engaged with over 300 people in 16 workshops to map out the best way forward for the Western Australian sheep industry," she said.
Ms Collins said the package highlighted the government's commitment to farmers affected by the ban.
"This package has always been about ensuring there is a sheep industry in Western Australia," she said.
"We think $139.7 million is significant and we have a transition advocate who will continue to play a role on the implementation to make sure this money goes to where it needs."
WAFarmers chief executive Trevor Whittington said Ms Collins had "taken the lead from the prime minister" in "running scared from dealing with 'difficult people".
He said WAFarmers had not been made aware of the minister's announcement, but decided to drive to the saleyards uninvited to hear the details first-hand.
"There was no detail today — we got more out of that leaked document," Mr Whittington said.
"This is a failed roll out, it's going to be a failed transition — it would have been nice to get an invitation."
Livestock and Rural Transport Association executive officer Jan Cooper said she found out about the visit early on Tuesday morning and that the organisations suggestions for the transition had been ignored.
"The department said this morning they would be prepared to talk further about our ideas," she said.
But the WA Shearing Industry Association welcomed elements of the plan.
"This is not a position we wanted to be in, but it's where we are," President Darren Spencer said.
"If we can't keep our shearing teams employed then we will lose a lot of people out of our industry and our local towns — no-one wants that.
"The answer we settled on was by them having other work that aligns around the shearing seasons."
Details are still being finalised, but the $2.2m provided for shearers is expected to allow them to get trained in other high-demand agricultural skills.
Katanning Shire President Kristy D'Aprile said the council had been working with the community to work out how best to work through the transition.
The shire is home to the largest undercover sheep saleyards in the southern hemisphere.
"We have land behind our saleyards, we are thinking outside the box and looking for every opportunity that we can," Ms D'Aprile said.
"There has been suggestion around maybe a feedlot and how we can further develop some opportunity between growers and processors."
She had already noticed a "rapid change" in Katanning as producers moved away from sheep.
"This is happening a lot quicker than anticipated, so we just need to know how to support our farmers going forward," Ms D'Aprile said.