Cattle class
A class action over the Gillard government's live export ban is back in court 11 years after it was first filed. At the heart of the case is a contest over cattle numbers.
The class action by cattle producers over the Gillard government’s live export ban is not the oldest case in the Federal Court. But it might end up that way if it fulfils the prediction of the trial judge.
The parties are now back in court for more evidence — this time about how many head of cattle would have been shipped to Indonesia between 2011 to 2013 if not for the ban.
Brett Cattle v Joe Ludwig (in his capacity as former minister for agriculture) was filed in 2014 and is still chewing up time and money, because the parties can’t agree how much the Commonwealth should pay.
The final amount could fall between $200 million and $800 million (costs included). Those were the offers on the table before the parties gave up on mediation and headed back to court.
