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Son-of-a-gun
winemaker
Tassie backs
live sheep
export drive
KAROLIN MACGREGOR
The youngest, and
sixth generation of
the Lubiana family,
Marco Lubiana has
been named the best
young wine maker
of Australia.
STORY: Page 12
Young Gun of Wines 2024 Marco Lubiana is passionate about quality.
TASMANIA’S peak farming body has thrown
its support behind producers across the country
who will be impacted by the Federal Government’s decision to push through the ban on live
sheep exports.
TasFarmers says farmers across Australia
had expressed deep disappointment with the
announcement on Tuesday that the
Federal Government has passed legislation to end the free trade export
in live sheep.
The organisation said despite
the industry’s extensive efforts to
meet every demand to maintain
exports, the Federal Government
had made clear its contempt for the
industry and was proceeding with
their plans to destroy the livelihood
of impacted farmers with this ban.
TasFarmers chief executive of昀椀cer Nathan Calman said Tasmanian
producers stand in solidarity with
farmers nationwide, particularly those in Western Australia directly affected by this decision.
“This is a knee-jerk reaction to activist
demands to win a few inner city votes at the
expense of rural livelihoods,” he said.
“The decision made by parliamentarians is
politically motivated and lacks any scienti昀椀c
basis.
“It will be an uphill battle for the industry with
the announcement having scarce details around
how the industry will be supported to transition.”
Under the legislation live sheep exports by
ship will be banned after May 2028.
The Government is providing a $107 million package to help producers transition out
of the trade.
However industry says that will not be enough.
“There is an absolute lack of information as
to how the $107 million support package might
work,” Mr Calman said.“There is nothing to
explain how the industry will adapt or how job
losses will be prevented.
“This Bill demonstrates how the industry has been ignored by its representatives in
Canberra and railroaded by the Federal Labor
Government.”
NFF president David Jochinke described the
decision to pass the legislation as a devastating
blow to farming communities.
He said the decision had been
met with widespread dismay from
farmers who had invested into
signi昀椀cant reforms for the trade,
resulting in world-leading animal
welfare outcomes.
“Farming communities have
been sold out for political gain, and
they’re gutted,” Mr Jochinke said.
“The Government vowed to kill
off the jobs of farmers, shearers and
truckies in WA.
“Credit to them, they’ve executed
that job with ruthless ef昀椀ciency.
“Whether it was 昀椀xing the outcome of the
Independent Panel or the House Inquiry, or
back昀氀ipping on senate scrutiny and guillotining debate – the Government pulled out every
trick to silence those affected.”
While the decision to ban the trade will have
a ripple effect across the country, Western Australian farmers will be impacted the most.
“The facts are that unless this ban is reversed,
farming communities, animals and Australia’s
strategic trade partnerships will all suffer,” Mr
Jochinke said.
“We now have a dangerously unscienti昀椀c precedent that will be celebrated tonight by groups
who want to shut down Australian livestock
production.
“This isn’t just about live sheep. This government has just told every farmer in Australia to
sleep with one eye open.”
TASMANIAN COUNTRY Friday, July 5, 2024 5
