Breeder Cattle —Indonesian Rejection

Extract from Hansard [COUNCIL —Tuesday, 27 November 2012] p8979a-8979a Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Robyn McSweeney

Breeder Cattle —Indonesian Rejection

6397. Hon Lynn MacLaren to the Minister for Child Protection representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food
I refer to the more than 11,000 breeder cattle sent to Indonesia that have been rejected for breeding purposes, and ask —
(1) Where are these cattle being kept?
(2) Are the conditions in which the cattle are being kept being monitored by the Australian Government?
(3) Do those conditions meet Australian animal welfare standards?
(4) When is the fate of the cattle likely to be decided?
(5) If the cattle go to slaughter in Indonesia, will they be covered by the regulatory system introduced by the Australian Government for cattle exported live to Indonesia for slaughter?

Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied:
(1) The Western Australian Government does not record details of the location of cattle sent from Australia to Indonesia.
(2) The cattle are outside the jurisdiction of the Western Australian Government. The State Government does not monitor the conditions of livestock in overseas locations.
(3) The Western Australian Government does not record the details of the conditions under which cattle sent from Australia to Indonesia are kept.
(4) The Western Australian Government is not a party to decisions on the fate of the cattle. I understand that discussions are continuing between industry and relevant authorities in Indonesia to resolve this matter.
(5) The Western Australian Government is a strong supporter of livestock exports under ESCAS which has onerous regulations regarding animal welfare to OIE standards, traceability and third party audit and reporting requirements. The Western Australian Government is not a party to decisions relating to the conditions under which these particular cattle may be slaughtered.