Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The government remains committed to working alongside industry and alongside Indonesia to have the live export trade recommence as quickly as possible, but that trade must have, as I have said, a supply chain in place that can guarantee the welfare of livestock. While we work to get that trade back up and running, it is important that those in industry who are doing it tough are supported. That is why I announced income assistance for industry, which was the $5 million contingency for those people who are as a consequence of the suspension made unemployed.

The second part was the need to support those people who are in short-term need of assistance—individual producers, those people and related businesses affected by the temporary suspension. For that reason, the government has put in place a $30 million package for that purpose. This package builds on the previous assistance measures and will provide immediate payments of up to $5,000 for eligible businesses with further payments of up to $20, 000 also available.

It is designed to be a short-term injection to help alleviate some of the immediate pressures on businesses associated with the suspension. It is a clear that individual producers are under pressure.