WALRTA president Ben Sutherland
LIVESTOCK carriers, exporters and wool growers have called for community backing for a Keep the Sheep rally through Western Australia’s capital city Perth this Friday.
WA Livestock and Rural Transport Association president Ben Sutherland has asked the people of Perth to get behind rural transporters and their communities again and support the Keep the Sheep rally through the city on Friday.
“We’re asking for your support on Friday – wave to us and cheer us on like you did during the rally in May last year.
“Let us know that you stand with us in opposing this ban and the impact it will have on our country towns and jobs right throughout WA,” he said.
Mr Sutherland said members of his association “were facing some tough decisions as they looked down the barrel of declining sheep numbers in WA.”
“As a result of the live sheep export ban, our clients have lost confidence in sheep production which means there are fewer and fewer sheep for us to cart,” he said.
PM and Ministers’ positions strengthens resolve
Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council chief executive officer Mark Harvey-Sutton said ALEC was once again proud to stand side by side with Keep the Sheep as they embarked on a convoy through Perth CBD to remind metro voters of the devastating live export ban and the damage it was already inflicting on rural communities.
“We are calling on everyone in metro Perth to join us, stand with us, give us a wave and make some noise as we roll through town to bring attention to the Albanese government’s live sheep ban that will cost 3000 WA jobs.
“Despite the attacks and misrepresentations from the Prime Minister and his Ministers, our industry is standing together. This has only strengthened our resolve,” he said.
Truckies faced with hard decisions
Mr Sutherland said some WALRTA members were tossing up what to do with their equipment.
“Do they hold on to it and face massive depreciation down the track or do they get rid of it now while they stand a chance of retrieving some of its value?
“I know some are opting for the latter so they will immediately be lost to the industry and possibly the local community,” he said.
“They won’t be using the local tyre shop or mechanic, they won’t be shopping locally or sending their children to the local school and nor will their drivers.
“Talk of transition is irrelevant when big business decisions are being made now,” Mr Sutherland said.
“All this hardship was totally avoidable if the Federal Government had taken the time to learn about the industry and listen to those at the coal face.
“If this can happen to us, it can happen to any industry.”
Call for city residents to stand with rural Western Australians
ALEC CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton: rural Western Australians won’t be silenced.
Mr Harvey-Sutton said the convoy would serve as a reminder to Perth residents who were busy with jobs and cost of living pressures to remember their rural friends at election time.
“As the election draws near, we’re calling on people to stand with their fellow Western Australians who just want to work in their productive businesses, run their IGAs, drive trucks and contribute to the economy.
“For too long, the Labor Party has attempted to dismiss and suppress the voices of truckies, shearers, farmers and rural workers,” he said.
“This Friday, we won’t be silenced.”
WoolProducers stands in solidarity
WoolProducers Australia chief executive officer Jo Hall said the peak grower group stands in solidarity with Keep the Sheep as it takes its message to the heart of Perth.
“This convoy will be a powerful reminder that the live sheep export ban isn’t just about sheep; it’s about the livelihoods of countless Western Australians, including those directly and indirectly involved in the wool supply chain.”
Ms Hall said the trade ban will have a cascading effect on the wool industry, impacting shearers, transport operators, rural retailers, and numerous other supporting industries.
“The loss of 3,000 jobs in Western Australia is not just a statistic; it represents real families and communities struggling to survive.
“The ripple effects will be felt throughout the entire wool sector, from the farm gate to the export docks.”
“We are calling on the residents of Perth to stand with their rural friends and neighbours,” Ms Hall said.
“These are hardworking Western Australians who simply want to continue contributing to our economy.
“The Labor party’s attempts to silence and dismiss the voices of truckies, shearers, farmers, and rural workers must not be allowed to succeed.”
The convoy will run from four start points:
North – Neerabup
South – Mundijong
East – Bedfordale
West – Fremantle
It will terminate at about 10am at Quarry Farm – 1475 S Western Hwy, Whitby WA 6123.
We existed for over 100 years eating and butchering our own sheep here. What about all those jobs that are now gone? Where’s the small town abattoir? Mobile butchers could come back. Farmers have been in denial since the late 1990s — 30 years. You lot got your land for free in exchange for grandad clearing some trees.
Small town meat works went the way of the Dodo. Health standards shut down lots of them when we got them and England joining the EU killed many of the rest. We got bitumen roads, freezer trucks and supermarkets. We got big unions and big wages. Mobile butchers, really? That’s like hobby farming. 33 million sheep are killed each year, more or less, so a couple of blokes with chill bins is not going to do it. No lands not been free for generations and even then it wasn’t free. Conditional purchase, clearing with axes and grub hoes. Read about the soldier settlements, educate yourself , nothing but blood and heartache.
Keep the sheep.
Our sheep farming is a wonderful industry; feeding others.
The sheep are well cared for on their voyage.
I was born and raised on a farm, it’s hard enough without government making it harder. I am with you guys and gals all the way. Don’t stop, keep the pressure on. Maybe Peter Dutton is the answer👍🥰
Keep the Sheep has my full support.
Well done to Mandy who is on the live export ship as we speak showing us all that the sheep are looked after and in the best possible care.
Support the farmers say goodbye to the Labour Government
People have short memories. This country was founded on the back of the sheep farmers and now our nation’s leaders have abandoned them.
Whilst me and my family are likely to be heavily inconvenienced on Friday, we wholeheartedly support your cause and your message.
Good luck with bringing sense back into the live export market.
I support our farmers and the sheep trade. A short-sighted decision to pacify the green conservative vote on the east coast. Typical of an east coast city dwelling party, forgetting its roots in the working man. Bloody poor of a poor performing PM.
Both federal and state governments are too focused on listening to the vocal minorities. It’s time the silent majority made their voices heard.
Where are you keeping the sheep – on boats to the Middle East? I heard meat processors saying there will be more jobs throughout the chain (truckies and regional businesses) if live rxport ends – why don’t you agree Ben?
Because Maurice there are already less jobs. Two meatworks shut and the last one cost 60 jobs. In two years we have gone from 10.7 million sheep to 8 million sheep. That’s less jobs already. No one is building new meatworks or has plans. Cropping is replacing sheep and that takes a lot less jobs than livestock. Come down to sheep country Maurice, Boyup Brook or Kojonup and educate yourself. Everything farmers said would happen several years ago has come to pass. Nothing Albo said has happened, oh the Voice ….
The Keep the Sheep Rally has my full support.
Due to geographic location I am unable to personally promote this event, but rest assured if I was able to it would receive 100 percent support from me.
Good luck to you mate.
Please put some resources towards fighting against a “community independent” in Forrest. Dr Sue Chapman is being well funded by Climate 200 and is a typical Teal, but is hiding behind a different brand color. Her campaign materials are everywhere.
Sheep farmers and exporters have had many, many years to address the problems of the live trade, and failed to do so. The ban is, by and large, a result of their inaction.
I won’t be attending in support unless they’ve also got a proper plan for doing things better.
Please get rid of this hypocritical Labor government, Perth voters. Decimating the sheep industry, what’s next? The cattle industry? Perth voters your lamb and sheep and all meats will get much dearer not cheaper. From a retired but still involved farmer.
Our only hope is to get rid of this Labor government. Vote Liberal.
Sounds like you should catch the train and bus if you don’t like it, after all we built this trillion dollar great public transport system to get people off the road. You have been given heaps of notice. Have you ever thought about the traffic jam you cause over Easter and holiday breaks. Down south, these are the people who are putting food on our tables. We have the best agricultural system in the world and our State and Federal Government’s are trying to Stifle it .
Let’s think of the mortality of what’s going on in the Tasmanian salmon industry right now; another agricultural blunder of epic proportion.
Wake up Australia.
PS I would take a Bex and have a lie down then ring into work sick.
The ban on live sheep exports is an ill-conceived decision by a weak government pandering to a noisy minority who really don’t know or care about the severe impact of their rabble rousing. In these uncertain economic times why would you wilfully do anything to damage Australia’s economy? The void left by Australia banning live sheep exports will be filled by other sheep producing nations and a big win for them resulting from our stupidity.
Fully support your rally.
Good luck on Friday.
As a former shearer, consumer of lamb and mutton and from a sheep farming background, absolutely I stand with the sheep and wool industry. Banning live exports is a dumb move. I am all for welfare and the welfare of live animals is just good business. Keep the Sheep.
Use your vote, The politicians have ignored protests and petitions. The only thing they are concerned with is getting reelected. Vote them out.
Keep the salmon..
Stop the sheep…
What a joke!
Axe live sheep trade and lose many rural jobs…
Didn’t the prime minister say yes to a salmon industry that will cause a lot of environmental damage to save jobs?
I wonder why the population gets sick of the government.
Things need to change.
At the peak of live sheep exports more than 7 million were exported annually. The number is now around 10 percent of the peak. Live sheep exports have been declining for decades, long before any talk of a ban. There are more than 12 million sheep in WA that will still require servicing, shearing and to be transported.
No Kim, your numbers are out of date. Two years ago there was 10.7 million sheep, now we are almost at 8 million sheep. That would be less Kim . 2 meatworks shut & the Last one cost 60 jobs. The big works will be working shorter shifts going forward. There are less jobs already, not more. The Merino is being replaced by John Deere. Morocco wants live sheep and the Saudi trade was just beginning again, and they used to be the biggest. All past problems have been solved. Albo and none of his ministers have bothered to discuss with WA farmers nor stand in front of them. He does like to boast about how many times ha comes to WA.
I’m an ex-farmer. I know farmers that have sheep really care for their animals. The sheep that go on the boats are really well looked after. The live sheep trade is a really important part of the WA sheep industry. Most of the sheep that leave Australia leave from WA. I hope the city people back western Australian farmers. We need your support. The politicians need to know there’s solidarity between country and city people to support our industry.
If live export is banned can’t the abattoirs and meat processing be reignited to create an employment avenue? And why don’t we keep enough of it to supply ourselves and reduce the costs for ourselves?
I hate buying foreign meat that costs a lot and ridiculously comes from us in the first place?
I’m all for supporting local first.
Just saying.
Agreed.
I do feel for the people involved in the sheep export industry .
I also think that like whaling it is a cruel and a barbaric practice that has no place in the present. Process sheep meat in Australia not overseas
Just get rid of this Labor Government
Mr Albanese promised that live sheep export would be supplemented by exporting packaged meat but abattoirs are closing, so how will this happen? A little inconvenience to Perth commuters on Friday might remind them that Mr Albanese’s promises are not worth a pinch of snuff and that many people will be indirectly affected by the ban.
Get rid of Labor, the Greens and and the Teals. Labor does not have any other interest than pleasing uninformed ignorant city voters who vote. They have their self interest only. I cannot believe that this is modern Australia.
You can always know when one of those ships are in port; the breeze carries the stench across Fremantle.
How convenient that most of your industry is located hundreds of kilometres away from this odour pollution that you call “the live sheep trade”. If I had an industry that made so much of a stench and parked it in the middle of a tourist town I’d be shut down, no matter how many jobs I claimed would be lost. Time for you to play by the same rules as everyone else.
Let’s see if you have the guts to publish this comment.
What is it that causes you to want to continue to support a cruel and unnecessary method of export when common sense dictates that the most humane method of export is that of frozen meat? Let not the desire for profit override our duty to discontinue the awful conditions of animals huddled together in misery. In any case, I understand the live export trade was in decline in this state.
Why do you feel the need to inconvenience everybody’s already arduous trip to work? I understand what your cause is about and support you, but this will not work. You just remind me of the ever annoying stop the oil morons.
Well said 👏
Sorry mate but we are fighting for our lives here. We don’t take this interruption to your daily routine lightly as we feel it’s an opportunity to educate our city mates about this stinking policy and the lies peddled by the labour government. Please don’t shoot the messenger. Get angry with the problem which is the policy we are fighting against.
The federal Labor government is like the bird that puts its head in the sand; hides what is above the neck and will not look and listen.
I hope they all have a major problem eating there next roast lamb meal.
Good work, good luck. Export Albanese overseas.
Great Idea 💡
I work for Australian Wool Handlers in Spearwood. I will be definitely supporting you all the way, full steam ahead
My research indicates that banning live sheep export supply chain businesses from continuing this long-standing venture is a unique example of a government ban on business for other than human and environmental safety reasons. The Labor Party could be coming for your business next. Overturn the ban. This means dumping Albanese’s Labor Government – do it.
Voting Liberal next Federal election would be important way to overturn the ban on live sheep export.
“Could be coming for your business.” I don’t think so.