Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in this place on occasion to reflect on the current status of the live export industry—this is something I've talked about many times—and today I rise to give this chamber an update on the current success of that industry in achieving very high quality animal welfare standards not just on the voyage but also in overseas destinations. As I have stood up and reflected on an ongoing basis in this place, the industry continues to improve its performance.

In the latest mortality figures published, by law, on the department of agriculture website—I'll start with sheep because that's obviously been a topic of some discussion over the last six months or so—the total mortality rate is down to 0.14 per cent. Just to give you some idea, this is not a flash in the pan; this is a consistent downward trend since at least the 1980s, whereby the industry has consistently and regularly improved standards, improved animal welfare outcomes and improved their animal handling practices. Just to give you a small snapshot, in 2017 the mortality rate was 0.7 per cent, and that went down to 0.53, then 0.25, then 0.23, then 0.21, and now it is down to 0.14. These are mortality rates that farmers would be very happy to achieve in paddocks, particularly in times of weather stress. The industry has done an extraordinary amount of work over the last few years and deserves to survive. (Time expired)