Extra funding amount “the right package” for WA, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins declares

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has defended the extra $32.7 million pledged for the live sheep exports ban transition package, despite industry leaders saying it’s still not enough.

An extra $21m of the funds boost pledged will go directly towards assisting farmers while the remaining $11.7m will go towards diversifying supply chains.

The total transition package now sits at $139.7 million.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the funding came after further discussions with industry.

“We’ve obviously been talking to sheep producers, we’ve been talking to the Live Export Council, we’ve been talking to the NFF (National Farmers Federation),” she said.

“We’ve been talking to the Western Australian Government about what is required here on the ground and we have reponded.”

The funding comes in the wake of legislation which passed through Federal Parliament in July which will see the live sheep export trade be outlawed by May, 2028.

As part of the package, former agriculture minister Murray Watt announced a support package of $107 million committed to the transition process.

That figure was immediately rubbished by industry, South West farmers and even State Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis.

Ms Collins did not rule out increasing the package again in the future but said this top up addressed concerns.

“I think what we’ll do is we’ll see how the grants and the roll out of that money goes,” she said.

“We have already responded to people’s concerns around the package with this additional funding today.”

The first of the funding from the package is expected to be unlocked in early November, when the first rounds of grants for initiatives to widen export markets open.

Ms Collins did not specify when the funding will come for the farmers themselves, saying she wanted to see “money start to flow as soon as possible”.

She was also unable to answer as to when the transition advocate — a position which has $1.7 million committed to it to oversee and engage domestic stakeholders and trading partners — would be appointed.

“We’re obviously talking to industry about that appointment and about what the transition advocate should look like to make sure that the transition goes smoothly,” she said.

“I want to see it happen as quickly as possible.”

The funding announcement was met with scepticism from the Opposition.

Federal Nationals leader and shadow agriculture minister David Littleproud described the announcement as all for show.

“This funding is disingenuous and a mere PR exercise. It does nothing to help the 3000 farmers who have had their livelihoods taken away,” he said.

“I challenge the minister to travel to Katanning and do a public meeting and explain to these farmers why Labor is shutting down their industry.

“Since Labor’s previous announcement for a transition package of $107 million, which included just $64.6 million for sheep producers and the supply chain side, not one cent has gone to helping our live sheep farmers.”