Ms CARTER - 2000-05-16
As the member for Port Darwin, I cover an area which includes the port, which is currently functioning in the centre of town. There are a number of residential buildings located near that area and I have had a few complaints from residents wanting to know when are the live cattle exports going to cease being moved from the centre of town? The problem with the exports is not only the smell, but also the noise. I understand that cattle can’t be kept in trucks during the night, so cattle is loaded through the night, which disturbs residents.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,the member for Port Darwin obviously is referring to not only the sound of wealth but the wafting, yet sometimes acrid, aroma of wealth that sometimes afflicts the good people of her constituency.
As Minister for Territory Ports, I work very closely and cooperatively with the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, who updates me regularly on the state of the export industry. Let me tell you that so far this year, up to 30 April, our export figures were 16 296 up on the same period last year. The live export industry is looking particularly well. In fact, on Thursday of this week, out of Portland in Victoria, the Territory exporter Walco International, will be loading a boat into the Middle East, into Palestine in fact.
I understand there is a contract for about 4000 little bulls every 40 days. That will provide a huge benefit to that part of the Territory south of Helen Springs. Because of the blue tongue protocol, those cattle can’t be sourced from the northern part of the Territory. We will be approaching the Israeli authorities who have responsibility for the import protocols in relation to allowing those cattle to come through the Port of Darwin, especially during the dry season when we do not get any resistant antibodies to blue-tongue showing up.
The live export industry provides a number of spin-off industries, not the least of which is feed and the cubing mills. I am aware of at least one mill that has now stopped taking on extra customers because they just cannot source stock, or the feed for the mills. Cavalcade hay, which is grown extensively in the northern part of the Northern Territory, is at least the equivalent of lucerne in terms of its nutritional value and its levels of convertible protein.
Turning to the member’s question, we do intend to, at the first opportunity, relocate the loading of live cattle from Fort Hill Wharf to the new port facility. But prior to doing that, we need to complete the shed so that we can store the feed in close proximity to the wharf. We have spent a lot of money, members would be aware. We have spent close on $100m on the port facilities themselves. We have spent close to $1.5m on the world’s largest weighbridge, which is located some kilometres from the port near the live export yards.
We do intend to make full use of those new facilities but, as I said, that will happen some time in the next month or 6 weeks when we have the storage shed complete, so that we can store the feed in close proximity to the wharf.
Let me say that the outlook for the live cattle industry is looking particularly good. We do have a couple of hiccups. There is a small problem with the Philippines at the moment, and also the weakening of the Indonesian rupiah over the last couple of days has caused some concern in the industry. But, with the Palestinian authority signing the contract for 4000 little bulls every 40 days, we are now expecting tenders out from Thailand in relation to feeder cattle going into Thailand and the current prices that people are getting - $1.65 per kilo, Port of Darwin - is extraordinarily good.
The recent wet season has caused some problems throughout the Territory in accessing those cattle. It will be difficult in the Alice Springs area for some time because most of those pastoralists there trap on water, and with the natural waters lying around it is very difficult to trap the cattle. Also just getting around and getting them out is posing some problems. But, all in all, they are looking forward to a very good year.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,the member for Port Darwin obviously is referring to not only the sound of wealth but the wafting, yet sometimes acrid, aroma of wealth that sometimes afflicts the good people of her constituency.
As Minister for Territory Ports, I work very closely and cooperatively with the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, who updates me regularly on the state of the export industry. Let me tell you that so far this year, up to 30 April, our export figures were 16 296 up on the same period last year. The live export industry is looking particularly well. In fact, on Thursday of this week, out of Portland in Victoria, the Territory exporter Walco International, will be loading a boat into the Middle East, into Palestine in fact.
I understand there is a contract for about 4000 little bulls every 40 days. That will provide a huge benefit to that part of the Territory south of Helen Springs. Because of the blue tongue protocol, those cattle can’t be sourced from the northern part of the Territory. We will be approaching the Israeli authorities who have responsibility for the import protocols in relation to allowing those cattle to come through the Port of Darwin, especially during the dry season when we do not get any resistant antibodies to blue-tongue showing up.
The live export industry provides a number of spin-off industries, not the least of which is feed and the cubing mills. I am aware of at least one mill that has now stopped taking on extra customers because they just cannot source stock, or the feed for the mills. Cavalcade hay, which is grown extensively in the northern part of the Northern Territory, is at least the equivalent of lucerne in terms of its nutritional value and its levels of convertible protein.
Turning to the member’s question, we do intend to, at the first opportunity, relocate the loading of live cattle from Fort Hill Wharf to the new port facility. But prior to doing that, we need to complete the shed so that we can store the feed in close proximity to the wharf. We have spent a lot of money, members would be aware. We have spent close on $100m on the port facilities themselves. We have spent close to $1.5m on the world’s largest weighbridge, which is located some kilometres from the port near the live export yards.
We do intend to make full use of those new facilities but, as I said, that will happen some time in the next month or 6 weeks when we have the storage shed complete, so that we can store the feed in close proximity to the wharf.
Let me say that the outlook for the live cattle industry is looking particularly good. We do have a couple of hiccups. There is a small problem with the Philippines at the moment, and also the weakening of the Indonesian rupiah over the last couple of days has caused some concern in the industry. But, with the Palestinian authority signing the contract for 4000 little bulls every 40 days, we are now expecting tenders out from Thailand in relation to feeder cattle going into Thailand and the current prices that people are getting - $1.65 per kilo, Port of Darwin - is extraordinarily good.
The recent wet season has caused some problems throughout the Territory in accessing those cattle. It will be difficult in the Alice Springs area for some time because most of those pastoralists there trap on water, and with the natural waters lying around it is very difficult to trap the cattle. Also just getting around and getting them out is posing some problems. But, all in all, they are looking forward to a very good year.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016