January 29, 2019 Minister must act to prevent more station cattle deaths Shadow Agriculture Minister Ian Blayney has called on the McGowan Government to act immediately to protect the welfare of cattle in the north of the State following reports of further cattle deaths on a second remote station. Up to a thousand head of cattle are reported to have died on Noonkanbah Station in the Kimberley last month after being left with inadequate water supplies during scorching summer heat. “Today, we have reports of further deaths on a station in the Pilbara and all Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan has said is she will have a conference about the matter in April,” Mr Blayney said. “Conditions in the north have been especially dry this summer but there is still no excuse for cattle deaths of this magnitude on a well-run station. “Pastoralists across WA have worked tirelessly to build a professional international reputation based on responsible animal husbandry and a couple of incidents like this can destroy that reputation. “The Minister must take strong action now to ensure that does not happen.” Mr Blayney said the Minister’s refusal to release the results of a preliminary inquiry into the Noonkanbah deaths was not a good start. “I call on the Minister to release the findings of the investigation and to make public the actions she will take against the owners of Noonkanbah Station to ensure this unfortunate incident is not repeated,” Mr Blayney said. “Animal mismanagement must be shown for what it is and dealt with immediately before it throws a shadow across the whole industry. “Minister MacTiernan was happy to marginalise the live export industry as part of her ideological agenda but when it comes to real animal welfare issues she is missing in action.” Media Contact |
