Current Operation

• Closed November 2009²

Location              

• 11km north of Margaret River.

Owner               

• Western Meat Processors, Director – F.E Lee³
  • General Manager, J Mc Quillan²

Operation

• Processed Cattle¹
• Employs 45²
• Workers numbers 57²

History

2005

• Western Meat Processors begun operations at Cowaramup²

2009

• March. Expansion worth $750,000, would provide increased slaughter throughput in late 2009.²
• November 16th. Closed due to plant where carcases were processed destroyed by fire and not other plants available to process meat.²
• O’Conner Meat factory⁴.
  • Owned by Western Meat Packers, located in McNeece Place, O’Conner, established 27 years.
  • Owner of O’Conner, Rod Russell also owned lamb processing plant in Osbourne park
  • Employed 300 people.
  • Fire was caused by an electrical fault in an exhaust system, caused $10M damage
  • were processing 2000 head of cattle a week
• Staff undertook maintenance work until December, when facility was shut down entirely, future work in January would continue maintenance.²

2011

• Licence issued 3rd February 2011to operate the works prescribed under the Environmental Protection Act. Issued for an extended period of 3 years⁵
  • Licence #L8036/1993/5. File SWB2063.
  • Category 15:Abattoir
  • Category 55: Livestock saleyard or holding pen

Sources

1. WAMIA Meat Processors 2013
2. ‘Cowaramup abattir to remain closed’ Farm Weekly 10.12.09
3. http://www.mantra.com
4. ‘Fire causes $10M damage to O’Conner meat factory’ Perth Now. 16.11.09.
5. Environmental Protection Licence. Government of WA – Dept of Environment and conservation
6. ‘Abattoir capacity in WA’. Letter by Terry Redman. Minister for Agriculture and Food. 18.03.09

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