Live exports hurt the economy and jobs in rural and regional areas.

The latest report by respected animal rights organisation, WSPA and complied by economic analysts, ACIL Tasman, shows the economic benefits of the chilled meat trade far outweigh the Live Export trade.

To read the report summary,ACIL_2012_Report_Summary-1.pdf (WSPA  Australian Live Sheep Exports)
To read the report   Live_cattle_exports_in_the_north_of_Australia_ACIL_Tasman.pdf

The Australian Meat Workers Union estimates that 70 abattoir closures and the loss of up to 12,000 jobs are directly attributable to the live export trade.

The closure of abattoirs has occurred due to inadequate supplies of sheep and cattle, competition for animals with the live export industry buyers and thus higher prices, which make local slaughter uncompetitive.

Local abattoir closures do not only affect individual abattoir workers. The loss of employment created by a major industry, with the resultant departure of families forced to leave to seek employment elsewhere - affects the viability of all local businesses in small rural and regional towns.

Some producers, particularly some large cattle producers in the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia, have deliberately geared themselves to produce animals specifically for the live export market. By restructuring to cater for the live export market, they have stopped supplying animals to local abattoirs and caused the abattoirs to shut down.

Recently, Indonesian authorities declared they would not accept cattle over 350kgs. These weight restrictions severely affected cattle producers, who had to truck cattle at considerable expense to other areas for processing.

The West Australian Government is now looking into the feasibility of a processing facility in the North of WA.