Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As member for an electorate consisting of only regional, rural or remote areas I am greatly concerned over the Albanese Labor government's attack on our valued Western Australian farmers. It is truly perplexing to me that those opposite are seeking to decimate and destroy an industry that is an integral part of our heritage, ensures our food security and sustains our nation.

I will start by addressing the Labor government's proposed live sheep export ban, which is an anti Western Australia plan. The panel involved with phasing out live sheep exports has been conducting meetings throughout Western Australia with very short notice. I am deeply alarmed and dismayed by the lack of comprehensive advertising for these meetings, which have not reached our farmers and the wider community. It is shameful.

I must question the motives of those opposite and the minority active groups they are trying to appease. If they genuinely cared about animal welfare standards, they would support our industry, which is consistently ranked amongst the highest in the world. This industry generates significant economic contributions and its processes are subject to rigorous scrutiny and continuous improvement. Put clearly, Western Australian sheep producers could not have done any more than has been asked of them.

If Labor shuts down our live WA sheep export trade, the global demand for meat will not cease. It is important to note that many countries relying on live animal exports lack adequate refrigeration to store meat. If we fail to provide these countries with live animals, other countries with lower standards and less stringent procedures will simply fill the gap. The unfortunate consequence of this will be animals having to endure harsh conditions on board unregulated ships. I call on WA's new Premier, Roger Cook, to do everything he can to demonstrate his support for our Western Australian sheep producers and to put an end to this unjustifiable plan.

A further attack on Western Australian farmers is a new and unnecessary biosecurity levy being introduced by the Albanese government, which is vehemently opposed by industry. From July 2024, all producers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries will be burdened with an additional 10 per cent levy on top of their existing agricultural levies. The Albanese Labor government's budget has ignored practical solutions for a stronger and more vibrant agricultural sector. It falls short in crucial areas such as road funding, tax incentives and measures to alleviate worker shortages in regional areas, as noted by the National Farmers' Federation.

Adding to the concerns faced by our farmers, the impending implementation of WA state Labor's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act imposes substantial compliance obligations. This act will not only impact our farmers, but also pastoralists, small miners, prospectors, demolition and construction companies and various other small companies, including residential property owners. The WA Labor government has failed in its duty of consultation and is rushing through this process with only a handful of information sessions coinciding with the busiest time for our Western Australian farmers. A petition from the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of Western Australia calling on the state government to delay the implementation of the act by at least six months has already gathered close to 30,000 signatures. Again, it is a test for our new Western Australia Premier to show leadership, show that he supports regional Western Australia and delay implementation of this new compliance regime.

At the Australian local government association conference held last week here in Canberra, Mr Ross Foulkes-Taylor, President of the Shire of Murchison and also a very well-known pastoralist, raised with Chris Bowen, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the issue that was impacting the implementation of the Emissions Reduction Fund carbon farming projects on pastoral land in WA, subject to native title. According to Mr Ross Foulkes-Taylor and others, the native title approval process has become unwieldy. On that day, he asked the minister whether he had any intention to overhaul the process.

The minister gave a very unsatisfactory answer, and I believe an Indigenous family pastoral station representative who was present at the conference was deeply offended by the answer.

The excessive tape and bureaucracy being imposed by the state and federal Labor governments will exacerbate the challenges faced by our primary producers. The Labor government's multipronged attack on farmers is already having a catastrophic effect on regional, rural and remote Australia. We must recognise the social impact that this attack is having on our regional communities. Western Australian farmers deserve much better.