Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

On 1 May 2028, Australia will end live sheep exports by sea. The Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024 will amend the Export Control Act 2020 to prohibit the export of live sheep by sea from Australia from that date.

The Australian government and the Australian people recognise that there are inherent risks in the export of live sheep by sea. Despite numerous reviews and subsequent reforms, the Australian public continues to hold concerns about sheep welfare.

The bill will strengthen sheep welfare to better align Australian export law with community expectations. In 2023, 43,758 Australians signed a petition (petition EN5323) calling for the parliament to legislate an end date to phase out the export of live sheep by sea from Australia.

The bill aligns with the recommendations of an independent panel appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to consult with stakeholders. The independent panel undertook extensive public consultations on how and when the phase-out could occur, including engagement with more than 2,000 people in person and considering over 4,100 submissions and survey responses.

Legislating a firm end date is considered by the government as the best means for producers, businesses and markets to make business decisions with a level of certainty, and work within a clearly defined timeframe for the closure of the trade.

A legislated future date provides—

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