We are Townsville residents, tourists and visitors who, like many Australians, object to the live export of cattle because this trade is inherently cruel. It has been well documented that cattle transported overseas suffer during long distance transport by road and on ships, multiple loading and unloading, poor handling, as well as through brutal and cruel slaughtering methods.

The export of live animals has also been shown to contribute to the loss of local jobs. We think that it makes no economic sense to export jobs overseas as this has a negative flow-on effect on the local economy.  

Finally we are deeply concerned that the loading of live export ships at the Port has a negative impact on local residents, visitors to areas adjacent to the Port such as the Casino, Entertainment Centre, the CBD and Strand areas due to the unpleasant stench coming from thousands of cattle in a hot environment.  It is difficult to see how plans for increased tourism and more residential development in the Townsville CBD are compatible with plans to increase the number of cattle shipped through the Port. 

We support TALE (Townsville Against Live Exports)'s call to Townsville Local, State, and Federal representatives to abandon plans to expand the live export trade from the Port of Townsville (from around 300,000 head per annum to a million) and to end live export from Townsville. Townsville can do better! We support alternatives which would be better for the animals, for local jobs and which would help make Townsville more attractive as a tourist destination and a city in which to live and work.