Live export: Independent report shows rise in public sentiment following high-profile events

Public sentiment towards the live export industry has grown despite the Albanese Government’s plan to ban the sheep shipping trade, according to a new independent report. The Live Exports and the Australian Community report, released this month, analysed the results of surveys commissioned by industry research bodies LiveCorp and Meat and Livestock Australia between 2019 and 2024. In particular, the report reviewed two separate polls conducted in 2024 — an anchor survey conducted in February, and a pulse survey conducted in June. According to CSIRO-affiliated research company Voconiq, which carried out the data collection, the results showed a rise in the number of Australians not only showing more interest in learning about the live export trade, but supporting it. In the June pulse survey, 41 per cent of respondents said the live export trade’s benefits outweighed the costs, a 6 per cent increase on 2019 results. Voconiq CEO Kieren Moffat said there had been a “significant jump” in the number of people wanting to learn about the live export industry. “We introduced new questions in 2024 to examine where people got most of their information about the industry, how much they trusted that information, and whether it affected their views,” he said. “Between the two surveys, the number of people reporting that they were actively seeking out information about live exports increased considerably.” During data collection for the anchor survey in February, thousands of sheep and cattle were left stranded on the MV Bahijah off the coast of WA, garnering national media attention. In May, the Labor Government announced the 2028 end date for live sheep exports by sea. The report said the anchor and pulse surveys had captured “two distinct points in time”. “Where the anchor revealed a downturn in sentiment, the pulse survey shows a notable recovery,” the report read. “This change highlights that social, economic and environmental context is critical to the community’s perception of the live export industry.” just over 16 per cent of respondents for the 2024 anchor survey agreed they were actively seeking information about live exports. That increased to more than 25 per cent in the pulse survey. In the pulse survey, 66 per cent of participants agreed that information about the live export industry was often portrayed in a negative light, and 76 per cent agreed there should be more balanced news coverage on the industry. LiveCorp CEO Wayne Collier said the research results showed a stark contrast between how the Australian community thought about livestock exports, and how that public perception was portrayed in social media. “It’s really pleasing to see that people are open to learning more about the industry and its performance and, interestingly, the survey results suggest that people are more positive once they do know more,” he said. Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton said the increase in community sentiment “puts the Government’s tired line about ‘support for the ban’ to bed”. “It’s simply not true, and this survey is further evidence toward that,” he said. “Combined with the overwhelming support for Keep The Sheep, the latest results from this survey demonstrate that the community sees the need for the industry to continue and will support us in the face of activist-driven policies.”