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LEX-30297
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Senator the Hon Murray Watt
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT  2600

Dear Minister
I write to seek your approval for an extension for the report from the Independent Panel consulting
on the phase out of live sheep exports by sea. You had asked us to report to you by 30 September
2023. We are seeking your approval to deliver the report by 31 October 2023.
The volume and range of input received in the consultation process and commissioned work is such
that we are unable to complete our analysis and recommendations in the original timeframe. We
believe it is important to fully consider the input received, finalise consultations and weigh
submissions and commissioned consultancies.
Since 3 March 2023, the panel has met with a range of stakeholders. This has included producers,
processors, export-related businesses, trading partners, and animal welfare organisations among
other stakeholders.
We have had active and respectful engagement through the consultation process. We received over
800 written submissions, over 3,300 survey responses and had over 2,000 people attend our 14 face-
to-face meetings held in regional WA and Perth. We have travelled to regional WA and Perth on four
separate occasions. Our most recent visit in the week of 21 August 2023 involved further targeted
meetings to test what we have heard from stakeholders about priority actions and implementation
arrangements.
We expect the additional time to complete the analysis and drafting of the report will strengthen our
advice to you. We are confident that we can finalise the report by this new date.

Phillip Glyde
Panel Chair
25 August 2023
Independent Panel consulting on the phase out of live sheep exports by sea
C/- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858, CANBERRA  ACT  2601
xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx

Document 2
LEX-30297
Page 2 of 2

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