Commonwealth's latest move in live-ex class action a disgrace, says NFF

They plan to decline the Commonwealth's request for additional time to analyse the method they have put forward for calculating damages, saying it is just another attempt to delay the payment of due compensation.

The matter will head back to the courts in April.

At the same time, the claimants say they are still waiting for an explanation legally due for the Commonwealth's decision to reject their latest offer to settle.

In January, the Commonwealth turned down their offer to accept $510 million, plus costs and interest, to break the legal deadlock.

A Federal Court ruling declared the 2011 Gillard Government suspension of the trade to Indonesia invalid and ordered compensation be paid to those whose livelihoods were devastated by the decision.

Four years of court proceedings have so far failed to see agreement on an amount to be paid.

To now request more delays to assess a formula that had been argued in the courts for years was cruel and unnecessary, spokesperson for the class action claimants Will Evans, from the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association, said.

The group of 215 parties to the class action includes cattle producers, exporters and service providers such as veterinarians and musterers.

"The Commonwealth's strategy is clearly to drag this out as long as possible and that is brutal," Mr Evans said.

"But there will not be another offer from us. We'll spend another 20 years in court if need be but we are not compromising from here. Attempts to lowball us won't work.

"What about this case does the Commonwealth have left to learn - it's been more than a decade.

"This court case is now being taught to university students as a rare case where malfeasance against a minister was proven. It's a precedent-setting case."

National Farmers' Federation president David Jochinke described the Commonwealth request for a delay in proceedings as a bitter blow.

"I was in the Territory when this news broke, and I've seen how visibly angry and upset this has made people," he said.

"There is no reason for this delay besides petty politics. The Federal Government is making it clear once again that justice for the people who had their livelihoods destroyed isn't a priority. They simply don't care."

The NFF has accused the government of "disgracing itself by deceitful delaying tactics and shirking the responsibility to fairly compensate cattle producers."

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt has continually defended the Commonwealth's behaviour in the matter, pointing out the Federal Court judge had criticised figures put forward by lawyers for the class action around how many extra head of cattle might have gone to Indonesia had the closure not occurred.