Livestock transport is a lifeline for regional and remote Australia
Why livestock transport is important for animal welfare
Why livestock transport is important for rural economies
Livestock transport is a lifeline for regional and remote Australia
The livestock transport industry includes both the road transport of livestock across regions of Australia and the transport, or export, of Australian livestock to overseas markets.
The livestock transport industry provides a crucial service to Australia’s meat and livestock industries, transporting livestock between farms, between stations and farms, and providing transport to and from saleyards, feedlots, abattoirs and livestock export ports across the country, every day of the year.
The ability to transport livestock over long distances in Australia is fundamental to managing the welfare of livestock in regional and remote areas, enabling regional and remote communities of Australia to exist.
Both the road transport and livestock export industries are vital to the Australian economy, with the road transport industry estimated to be worth $12 billion a year and the livestock export industry $1.8 billion a year.
Why livestock transport is important for animal welfare
Helping farmers manage environmental impacts on animal welfare
Livestock producers are committed to the highest standards of animal care. Livestock transport is important to farmers in regional and remote areas of Australia because it allows them flexibility in managing environmental and climatic challenges that may be harmful to an animals welfare.
The current drought has made it difficult for many Australian livestock producers to survive on the land, and has influenced the measures required to most effectively manage the animals in their care. The ability to transport both sheep and cattle, often over long distances, from regions suffering feed or water shortages to regions in more favourable circumstances has provided a lifeline for both livestock and farmers.
Being able to routinely transport livestock, often over long distances, helps producers to avoid seasonal changes that may not be good for the health of their animals. It also allows farmers to plan ahead to avoid periodic bad weather or environmental impacts. For example, the periodic movement of cattle from the Pilbara in northern Western Australia to southern regions of Western Australia prior to the northern wet season prevents their condition declining in the hot, humid climate.
Livestock transport is also important because sheep and cattle are often bred and raised on special breeder properties, then transported to other properties to be rearded when seasons change. This ensures the animals have ready access to plentiful feed and water supplies in a climate that suits them.
Why livestock transport is important for rural economies
Livestock transportation is also vital because it enables many indigenous and other remote communities to meet the challenges of the difficult northern Australian environment and make a living from what otherwise may be unproductive land.
Many of these communities have no other viable commercial alternatives and they can earn an income from successfully transporting livestock, in particular cattle, over long distances to market.
The ability to transport cattle long distances has helped farmers access markets to sell their animals beyond their own region, and to seek out markets with the best returns. This has been particularly important in remote areas where there aren’t enough cattle to sustain a regional abattoir network. Whilst smaller plants exist to meet local area requirements, there aren’t enough cattle to support larger plants, particularly in remote northern Australia.
Attempts to operate abattoirs economically in Australia’s North West have failed in the past due to the seasonality of cattle supply; the forced closure of abattoirs during wet season; and the inability for abattoirs to provide stable employment for workers.
Smaller remote export abattoirs that are unable to operate continuously also find it difficult to compete with larger abattoirs and to maintain their operations.
The absence of processing facilities in most of Northern Australia means livestock are exported live or are transported to Queensland or Southern Western Australia. The ability to do this has boosted returns for farmers and enabled improvements to properties in many remote regions.