Closed Export accredited abattoir that processed beef.
It was intended to be upgraded in 1996 but closed in 1999 due to costs of processing.
Operation
- Aus-Meat accreditation
- Facility #7368.
- Export Abattoir. Beef8.
- Closed 19991.
Location
- 13km N of Mussellbrook, 110 NW of Newcastle
Location relative to other abattoirs across Australia
Go to this link to view Australian Abattoir Locations
Owner
- Aberdeen Beef Company
- Australian Meat Holdings
History
1891
- 361acres purchased. Australian Chilling and Freezing Co established1.
1892
- First cargo of sheep and lambs processed1
1894 – 96
- Shut down due to drought and typhoid epidemic1
1904
- Reopened after many more years of drought1
- Closed 5 months latter due to low supply1
1914
- Began to process beef, rabbits and pigs, new areas of business also – butter1
1923-24
- F.J Walker1
- Modernisation in CO2 to transport chilled produce
1939-40
- New mutton slaughter house, plus tallow processing1
1981
- “In NSW 20 abattoirs have ceased operations and 4,000 jobs lost” Mr John Barry Mildren (ALP) Ballarat7
- 27 meatworks has closed or forfeited export licences across Australia – loss of jobs of 10,571 people. Mr John Charles Kerin (ALP) Warriwa, Leader of opposition at the time7
1983
- Elders IXL Group1
1984
- Up to 1984 all livestock processed for export and domestic1
- From 1984 on only cattle processed, graded, weighed, sliced, vacuum packed, blast frozen and stored for distribution1
1986
- Elders traded under name Aberdeen Beef Company1
1994
- AMH purchase the facility10
1996
- AMH now own Aberdeen
- Closed down Guyra Abattoir (NSW)
- AMH controlled by big US rural commodities trader – ConAgra, a major exporter from North America5
- AMH accounts for 16.5% of Australia’s beef kill.5
- currently owns another 8 facilities but will be consolidating to 5 and closing
- Beaudesert (QLD),
- Guyra. NSW and
- Portland (Vic)6
- AMH continued to own
- Dinmore,
- Townsville,
- Rockhampton
- and Aberdeen5
- Author note – not sure of 8th.
-
- Intended that 300 jobs would be replaced at Dinmore when expansion completed there10
- AMH undertaking a detailed study of redeveloping the Aberdeen plant, would require an additional $50M upgrade to become internationally competitive
1999
- March 16. Six weeks prior to official closure meatworks had a temporary closure10
- April 16. Facility officially closes10
- 400 employees received no income for 6 weeks10
- Employees weren’t terminated, therefore didn’t qualify for social security10.
- Chief executive of AMH departs for an overseas trip the day of the Aberdeen abattoir closure10
- AMH weren’t interested in re-opening the works10
- More interested in bolstering other sites they owned at the time10
- AMH didn’t want to offer the facility to be leased but rather it be ‘mothballed’10
- AMH didn’t act in good faith of workers10.
- Aberdeen had a population of 1,70010
- 1 in 4 people in the town had been employed at the facility10.
- Closed1
- 109 year old landmark, 400 local jobs2
- More abattoirs could be threatened in meat industry shake-up.2
- Other abattoirs in Scone/Hunter area future may not be stable2
- NSW Opposition called on state government to push for further negotiations with AMH to persuade company to re-open.2
- Closure reason – cited as stock shortages.3
- AMH closed Aberdeen to send all cattle to Dinmore abattoir (QLD) – Even with added cost of cartage costs of processing were still $14 per head/cattle cheaper processed in QLD than NSW4
2000
- November. Hon bob Carr MP, Premier of NSW announces a $12M NSW Meat processing Industry restructuring program to operate over a 3 year period9.
- Evident that the NSW Meat processing industry has and is likely to experience structural change. Rationalisation within the industry will most likely lead to a net reduction in the number of abattoirs and employee’s required9.
Sources
- Aberdeen. http://www.upperhuntertourism.com.au
- ‘Hunter’s Meat Axe’ Newcastle Herald 15.05.1999. http://www.abattoirs.com.au
- http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20020314031
- ‘State rule shut abattoir’ The land. 06.07.00
- US beef exporters force three abattoirs to close SMH 15.05.2013
- ‘Guyra abattoir closure’ Mr Raymond Chappell 15.05.96 http://www.parliment.nsw.gov
- Parliamentary Hansard, 20 August 1981. Pg 595 – 604
- Aus-Meat Accreditation List. November 1987.
- Industry training. Clements, Speers
Tagged: Aberdeen abattoir, AMH processors, Australian Abattoirs, Australian meat processing, Beef export abattoirs, New South Wales abattoirs
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