Independent inquiry must examine concerns with US beef import rules

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Independent inquiry must examine concerns with US beef import rules.

31 July 2025

By Dr Chris Parker

The recent decision by the Federal Government to accept that the United States has met our biosecurity standards has created immense anxiety within our beef industry, given our strong belief in rules-based trading and science-based protections.

The US remains a vital and trusted trading partner to the Australian beef industry, and our federal Department of Agriculture does a great job on behalf of all Australians in providing a world-leading biosecurity system.

It is with these things in mind that we believe an independent scientific review must be conducted to ensure that the best science has been used, and to investigate some specific areas of concern the industry has identified with the expanded access that has been granted for US beef.

Our call for an independent review is neither unreasonable nor without precedent. We note that the independent Inspector General of Biosecurity, in a recent report, recommended independent scientific reviews to improve the process of import risk assessments. Further, we are not aware of any significant risk assessment in the last 20 odd years that did not have a set of independent eyes run over it.

There are five key areas that we believe need further explanation or review:

1. The lack of equivalence between the way Australian exports to the US are treated vs the treatment of US imports.

2. A high-level reliance on US systems, including ante and postmortem inspections, to mitigate serious risks, without facility audits by the Australian Government.

3. There is a lack of evidence of equivalence in traceability of animals in the US compared to Australia, with scant detail on how their systems will be audited or even verified.

4. The lack of clarity and detail around testing requirements for US beef at the Australian border for animal health and human health concerns.

5. A lack of detail around the Competent Authority assessment by Australian officials, and the apparent absence of an assessment of the cattle import process from Mexico into the US.

The final point is a major concern. The Government’s report lacks any detail or evidence of Australian government officials having observed the process of Mexican live cattle imports into the US. It seems the department officials only inspected Canadian procedures but not Mexican. If this is the case, it is completely unacceptable.

It has been the choices made by the Federal Government in this matter that has resulted in this call for an independent scientific inquiry. It chose not to provide details to industry; it chose to provide notice to industry of its plans to release its report less than 24 hours before it occurring; and it chose to then amplify the announcement in the media with confused messaging and the lack of certainty in the risk assessment itself.

This issue and our industry are too important to just be lost in a bureaucratic fog.

ENDS

IMAGE: Dr Chris Parker is Senior Advisor at Cattle Australia, and a former First Assistant Secretary Biosecurity Animal Division and National Animal Disease Preparedness Coordinator within the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Michael Thomson
michael.thomson@bluehillagency.com.au
0408 819 666

Will Evans

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Will Evans brings extensive leadership, advocacy and policy experience to the role of Cattle Australia CEO.

Prior to joining CA in July 2025, he held the role of CEO of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association.

Prior to leading the NTCA, Will held industry positions in the areas of policy development with the former Cattle Council of Australia and for the Northern Territory Live Exporters Association.

Garry Edwards

Managing Director and CEO, Maureen Pastoral Company

Garry was born and raised on a commercial beef cattle property south of Gloucester in New South Wales. Garry has personal cattle production interests in this region today as well as his corporate role as the Managing Director and CEO of AAM, a business that has a significant focus in continuing to expand beyond our cattle production interests in Central West NSW, near Forbes and Bective Station near Tamworth, NSW.

Garry has over 25 years’ experience in large scale livestock production management within the Australian agribusiness sector. His experience spans across a vast array of areas of the agricultural supply chain and includes managing businesses involved in livestock breeding, growing and finishing, financing of agricultural projects, implementation of precision agriculture practices, investigation and implementation of sustainability and innovation initiatives and developing and operating integrated agricultural businesses.

In 2007, Garry founded the company that today is AAM, commencing the development, operation and management of a portfolio of agricultural assets valued at $887 million and he remains the major shareholder of AAM.

Garry has a unique skill set across multiple facets of the grass-fed cattle production supply chain, from production through to finishing, as well as a unique perspective of the challenges facing all grass-fed producers within Australia through his involvement in the modernisation and development of livestock marketing facilities throughout Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

George King

Managing Director, The Whitney Pastoral Co and Manager, "Coombing Park"

George is a seventh generation Australian farmer, currently managing his family property which they have held since 1880. George operates an Angus breeding and finishing operation joining 1,500 cows per year, with a low-cost model turning off steers at feeder weights and direct sales of females.

George has long been on a regenerative agriculture path as it was the only way he could see to renovate their property 25 years ago without employed equity or working capital, which at the time they didn’t have. He continues with this model as it provides outstanding cost containments, continued production and profitability.

George is married with four (4) children, Harry 24, Emma 22, Dave 15 and Tom 13. He also enjoys flying and has his pilot’s license.

George is also a Founding Director of The Wellness House and a Founding Director of ONFARM CO. He has a strong voluntary involvement with his community including as the NSW Rural Fire Services Senior Dept Capt. and Chairman of St Paul’s Carcoar.

Bryce Camm

Grazier, camm agricultual group

Bryce Camm hails from Dalby in Queensland’s Darling Downs region where he oversees his family’s company Camm Agricultural Group; an integrated beef and cropping enterprise with interests across Queensland.

Bryce has been CEO of the group for the past eight years. Prior to that he was the Manager of the group’s award winning Wonga Plains Feedlot for eight years where he oversaw the operation triple in size. Growing up on “Natal Downs” Station in north Queensland Bryce undertook a dual degree in Business Administration and Communications at Bond University and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program as well as the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.

Bryce is currently the Chairman of Beef Australia Ltd and the Immediate Past President of the Australian Lot Feeders Council, as well as a previous Director of the Red Meat Advisory Council.

Elke Cleverdon

Owner and Director, Cleverdon Agriculture - Grass Fed Black Angus

Elke is an experienced non-executive director in the agriculture and customer-owned banking sector with a passion for member-centric organisations. She brings a grower perspective, coupled with her genuine drive to elevate the industry through innovation. She was selected to the National Farmers’ Federation ‘Diversity in Ag Leadership’ 2022, among 12 women nationally.

Elke has a broad background in the agricultural industry as a producer and rural financial coach across regional NSW, challenging business models and production systems for growers across a wide range of commodities. Elke has been a joint owner and director of a broadacre family cattle property at Harden, NSW, since 1993. Cleverdon Ag raises and trades black Angus cattle.

Elke brings a wealth of financial, risk management and governance experience. Her current non-executive director roles include Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA), Murrumbidgee Health (NSW Health) and SWS Bank (a regional financial institution in NSW).

Some of her many strengths include a strong focus on strategy, risk and a triple bottom line while chairing large-scale audit and risk committees.

Elke is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow CPA, and holds a Master of Business Administration focused in marketing, finance, business strategy and leadership. Her critical thinking and business acumen after 16 years’ experience as an executive in customer-owned banking and the past eight years as a Rural Financial Coach, makes her an ideal candidate seeking to advance producers’ long-term best interests in a fair and strong supply chain.

David Foote

Director - Tandarra Partners

Nominated by: Peter Hall, Troy Setter, Bryce Camm, David Hill, Adam Coffey

For the past 45 years, David has held rural property management, executive and senior management positions across all mainland states in areas of; beef cattle & sheep breeding, growing and lot feeding, meat retailing, small seed growing, irrigated fodder, and the further processing and exporting of primary products such as meat, grain and fodder.

His export experiences which started in 1989 included a role with Stanbroke Pastoral Company to help develop Stanbroke’ s Live cattle export program. Additionally, David managed the integration of Bottle Tree feedlot grain feeding in the production system while developing and launching their now globally recognised Diamantina beef brand.

David has been in a leadership role at the Lee Family’s, Australian Country Choice group of Companies since 1999 and progressed in that time from General Manager Properties & Livestock to Group Managing Director until stepping back in December 2020 from a full time role to a strategic advisory and board role.

Headquartered in Brisbane and employing over 1,400 staff across 42 operations, Australian Country Choice (ACC) operates Australia’s largest vertically integrated beef supply chain; encompassing cattle breeding, cattle growing and feedlotting to supply its integrated food processing facility in Brisbane that incorporates beef slaughter, beef boning, value-adding and case ready beef packing.

ACC’s cattle property portfolio of around 4 million acres in Queensland & NSW encompasses operations from the Barkly Tableland, CQ coalfields, Carnarvon ranges, Augathella, Blackall, Roma, and Moonie districts of Queensland, with a carrying capacity of 300,000 head. of cattle to support the Company’s 3 feedlots.

Additionally, David represents Agricultural & Cattle industry interests in his role as; Non-Government member Australia Indonesia Red Meat & Cattle Partnership, member SmartSat CRC, member Cattle Australia -Policy Council, member Australian Meat Industry Council -China & Halal Trade Groups, Chair Workplace Health & Safety Queensland -Rural Industry Sector Standing Committee, Deputy Chair Laguna Bay Pastoral investment committee and Board Member lnventia Genetic Technologies (IGT).

Away from work David has a small cattle property in the Mt Kilcoy (Qld) district running Charolais & Charbray breeders to the delight of his four grandchildren.

David wishes to continue into a second term to help build a strong and successful Cattle Australia to represent the interest of all cattle producers

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Independent inquiry must examine concerns with US beef import rules.

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