Dear Committee Secretary
The purpose of this letter is to share research and analysis conducted by the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) with the House Standing Committee on Agriculture as part of its inquiry into the Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024 (the bill).
IPA analysis of the bill finds:
- The bill will fail to improve livestock welfare standards.
- The bill will significantly undermine agricultural production and harm rural communities in Western Australia that are already heavily overregulated.
On the basis of these findings, the IPA recommends that parliament should not proceed with the bill.
Banning live sheep exports will fail to improve livestock welfare standards
Banning live sheep exports from Australia will mean that the countries that import our sheep—primarily in the Middle East and North African regions—will simply end up purchasing stock from other countries which have less stringent animal welfare standards.
Australia’s live export industry has the most comprehensive animal welfare standards in the world. The Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL), which sets out conditions for the export of livestock, alongside the Export Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), which requires exporters to ensure that importing countries adhere to Australia animal welfare standards, means that the welfare of animals being exported from Australia are protected through the entire process—from Australian paddocks to point of sale in international markets.
