Mr MITCHELL - 1998-10-15
Last year over $100m worth of cattle was sent through the Port of Darwin to Indonesia. Given the recent economic upheaval in that area, can the minister tell us if things are actually on the improve this year?
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is with some pleasure that I am able to report to the House that the trade with Indonesia is slowly resuming. That’s been brought about by a number of factors, including over the past few months the improvement in the exchange rate of the Indonesian rupiah with both the Australian dollar and the US dollar.
I am advised that through the efforts of a number of exporters and their innovative ways of restarting the trade, and entrepreneurial skills, have led to a modest resumption. The trade is somewhat limited at this time through lack of both ships and lack of suitable cattle. However, I will be making a statement to the House later today in which I will expand at some length on ways in which I believe trade can be kick-started with a modicum of assistance from the federal government. But, as I said, even as it stands, we look to be in a position to send out about 10 boatloads within the next month, which doesn’t compare with the boat a day we were sending last year, but certainly gives us heart that the trade will resume to its previous levels in the not too distant future.
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is with some pleasure that I am able to report to the House that the trade with Indonesia is slowly resuming. That’s been brought about by a number of factors, including over the past few months the improvement in the exchange rate of the Indonesian rupiah with both the Australian dollar and the US dollar.
I am advised that through the efforts of a number of exporters and their innovative ways of restarting the trade, and entrepreneurial skills, have led to a modest resumption. The trade is somewhat limited at this time through lack of both ships and lack of suitable cattle. However, I will be making a statement to the House later today in which I will expand at some length on ways in which I believe trade can be kick-started with a modicum of assistance from the federal government. But, as I said, even as it stands, we look to be in a position to send out about 10 boatloads within the next month, which doesn’t compare with the boat a day we were sending last year, but certainly gives us heart that the trade will resume to its previous levels in the not too distant future.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016