West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says there's no reason the live cattle trade to Indonesia cannot resume immediately to existing abattoirs that meet Australian standards.
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says there's no reason the live cattle trade to Indonesia cannot resume immediately to existing abattoirs that meet Australian standards.
He says his government will engage with Indonesia to protect the interests of the industry in WA because he doesn't trust Canberra to do so.
The federal government has suspended the live cattle trade to Indonesia following an ABC television report showing some abattoirs using brutal killing methods.
The suspension could last for up to six months pending an investigation into the supply chain to ensure international standards are upheld.
Mr Barnett told reporters in Perth on Tuesday that no one, himself included, could accept the images of the brutality and cruelty to animals seen in the Four Corners documentary.
But he said there were a number of large abattoirs in Indonesia that met the standards of Australian abattoirs and there was no reason to disrupt trade to those works, when proper monitoring could be put in place.
"I don't see any reason why this trade can't be resumed immediately with the proviso that the cattle only go to those abattoirs that have humane methods of animal slaughter and treatment."
Mr Barnett said the WA government was prepared to play a role and he expected his Agriculture Minister, Terry Redman, to travel to Indonesia soon to talk to officials about WA assistance.
"This is very much a West Australian industry, about 50 per cent of live cattle exports come out of this state and about 75 per cent of live sheep exports.
"I don't have a lot of confidence in the politicians and bureaucrats in Canberra to look after the interests of this state."
Mr Barnett said the live export trade was worth about $500 million a year and employed around 7000 people in WA and its demise would be devastating for many people in the Kimberley and the Pilbara.
Meanwhile, peak industry body Meat and Livestock Australia has rejected a request from the federal government to use contingency funds to help cattle growers affected by the suspension of the trade with Indonesia.
Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig has written to the MLA proposing it release $5 million in contingency funding.
Senator Ludwig said the MLA was "critically placed" to help the industry through the suspension period.
The minister also warned he was prepared to force MLA to release the funding.
MLA chairman Don Heatley said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon his organisation had declined the minister's request.
"The industry's priority is to direct available resources into implementing urgent measures in Indonesia to assure the welfare of Australian cattle and give government the confidence to reopen the trade," Mr Heatley said.
"Reinstating this trade under an accredited supply chain is the most effective means to provide financial security to cattle producers and businesses across northern Australia."
Mr Heatley said the MLA was focused on resuming the live cattle trade with Indonesia, but would "engage with government to find a practical solution".
Also, the WA Farmers Federation says it is highly concerned that the federal government's review into the live export trade could result in a total suspension of live animal exports.
WAFarmers president Mike Norton said if the ban was extended to include other animals in other markets, the entire livestock industry in Western Australia could be "crippled".
"In 2010, Western Australia exported 2.4 million sheep - 81 per cent of Australia's entire live sheep export market - and 370,000 cattle," Mr Norton said.
"If this trade is suspended, the impact would be felt by thousands of farming families, their staff and their suppliers."
Mr Norton said WAFarmers believed that live cattle exports could be reopened prior to the federal governmnet's report being finalised.
An initial report is due on July 29.
"WAFarmers believes it is viable for live exports to Indonesia to be resumed immediately, but limited only to those abattoirs that meet or exceed OIE (international) standards," Mr Norton said.
"This would ensure no Australian livestock suffer inhumane treatment such as that witnessed recently on Four Corners.
"The export industry has put forward a very workable plan to see the cattle trade with Indonesia resumed, and we are working with the relevant groups to see the plan implemented as soon as possible.
"The farming industry cannot wait until the end of July for the trade to reopen."
