Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Abetz, representing the Minister for Agriculture. Will the minister inform the Senate of the importance of live animal exports to Australian agriculture and the national economy?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator O'Sullivan for his question. The live animal export trade is vitally important to the Australian economy and in particular to its agricultural sector.

The coalition is working to deliver a sustainable livestock export trade that increases economic returns to our farmers and exporters for the long term whilst also providing much-needed foods for the countries receiving our product. This government supports the live export trade and since February 2014 has successfully negotiated access to another four markets: Egypt, Bahrain, Iran and Cambodia. From the combined efforts of government and industry, we are now seeing over one million head of cattle and two million sheep being exported in the past 12 months. For live cattle, this represent a 54 per cent increase compared with the same period last year.

The value of the live export trade, including cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats, between September 2013 and June 2014 has now exceeded $1,000 million. Added to this, might I add, Indonesia is now taking about 59 per cent of our exports. In your home state, Townsville has seen a 4,000 per cent increase in numbers, Darwin 48 per cent, Broome 56 per cent—and so the list goes on. The exports to China have increased by 59 per cent, to Indonesia by 130 per cent, to Malaysia by 44 per cent, to Thailand by 63 per cent and to Vietnam by 726 per cent. Cattle exports to Asia increased by 115 per cent. What it shows is that the market has been re-established by good policy through the coalition.

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. What impact has this growth in the live cattle export trade had on jobs in Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory and, in particular, Minister, on Indigenous employment?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think Senator O'Sullivan for his supplementary question. This is a very welcome increase in the export trade which will enable sustainability and growth within this sector for farmers, primary producers, all the logistics that are involved, and the exporters as well. If I might say—and Senator O'Sullivan is right to concentrate on this—it is, in particular, good news for the viability of a number of Indigenous cattle stations and all the people that they employ. In fact, there are 96 Indigenous owned pastoral leases across Western Australia, your home state of Queensland and the Northern Territory. There are 14,000 Indigenous people living on, or near, these pastoral leases. They all stand to significantly gain from this government's re-enhancement of our live exports and ensuring more sustainable markets for the future. (Time expired)

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Minister, in light of the live cattle export industry's value to the national economy, can you outline the biggest threats to this industry?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have already seen firsthand the devastating impact of poor government decision making, and also those who seek to constantly attack the industry, allegedly on the basis of animal welfare. Can I simply highlight that Australia is the only one of more than 100 countries that export live animals that requires World Organisation for Animal Health welfare standards to be met as a minimum for exported livestock. We are the only country. We are leaders in this area. If anybody is concerned about animal welfare, they should be cheering on the Australian industry, which those opposite closed down. I do accept that they closed it down on the basis of the agreement that they had with the Australian Greens at the time, and I note in fact that today is the fourth anniversary of that signing.