Parliamentary inquiry recommends passing laws to ban live sheep exports in Australia
Australian live sheep export ban could set a ‘concerning precedent’, industry warns
May 2024
The rural network, Victoria
Voter views on animal welfare are changing – and taking the live sheep export trade with them
Gabrielle Chan
Australian government offers five year $107m package to ban live sheep exports in 2028
February 2024
Australian politics live with Amy Remeikis
Australia should pay whistleblowers, Fels says – as it happened
This blog is now closed
Live export saga enters second month as animals face another heatwave off Perth coast
If exporters fail to obtain permission to ship the animals to Israel, the livestock on board the MV Bahijah will have to be slaughtered
Live export ship to remain in WA with 15,000 livestock after regulator blocks voyage to Israel
Government says plan for MV Bahijah to sail around Africa to avoid Houthi attacks in Red Sea mean it’s not safe for the animals
January 2024
Stranded live export ship to offload some of 16,500 animals in WA before resuming journey to Middle East
Serious animal welfare concerns over exporter’s plan to resume journey, MP says, with animals set to spend 60 days ‘on a stinking hot ship’
September 2023
The rural network
Australia remains free of lumpy skin disease despite Indonesia blocking cattle imports, officials say
Indonesia imposes strict testing conditions on cattle from three major export ports after claiming infectious disease detected in eight cattle
March 2023
The rural network, Victoria
Australia to phase out live sheep export amid opposition from peak farmers body
Consultation begins on timeframe as National Farmers’ Federation says ‘wiping out an entire industry is not the answer’
February 2023
Greens decry ‘utter decimation’ of independent observer program for live exports
Most voyages carrying livestock out of Australia sailed without an observer, with half of those ships claiming they had insufficient space for an extra person
December 2022
Live exports: just five of 38 eligible ships had Australian animal welfare observers
No reports have been published from observers on the five ships since independent monitoring program resumed in May
June 2022
Anthony Albanese says live sheep exports won’t be phased out before 2025
PM reveals Labor remains committed to ending trade but first needs to consult with farmers and Western Australian government
May 2022
Greens and animal welfare groups push for Labor to give timeline for live export ban
Opposition says it will recommit to phasing out live sheep exports from Western Australia but has not indicated when it will do so
May 2021
Australian observers likely to board just one live export ship in two years
The government says Covid travel restrictions have made it too unsafe to carry out the independent observer program
July 2020
Nationals claim win as Australian government says it won't appeal live cattle export court ruling
Junior Coalition partner ‘proud’ after attorney general announces government won’t challenge a federal court ruling that the 2011 suspension of live cattle exports was invalid
June 2020
Court rules 50,000 sheep may be sent from Australia to Middle East despite live export ban
Animal rights group had filed urgent application to overturn exemption granted by Western Australia agriculture department
Australian government considers appealing against judgment on 2011 live cattle export ban
Coalition may seek to compensate affected graziers while appealing against aspects of ruling, government signals suggest
Australian government's 2011 cattle live export ban was invalid, court rules
Cattle company will receive ‘substantial damages’ after court finds order in response to Four Corners program was ‘capricious and unreasonable’
May 2020
Ruby Princess passengers warned after crew member tests positive to tuberculosis
Scientists prepare to examine sewage in attempt to try to find the source of a Covid-19 infection that killed Nathan Turner
