Blayney

Other Names

• ANZCO abattoir

Current Operation

• closed 1998²

Location   

Hema Maps – Australia Truckies atlas.

Owner

• McPhee Meats²
• 1996 – ANZCO¹

• Manager – Neville Newton, now managing Goulburn⁴

Other abattoirs in Australia

Go to this link to view Location of Australian Abattoirs

   

Operation  of Blayney #155

• Sheep processing facility⁶

History

1900

• Freezing works³

1957

• abattoir opened, had been a freezing works prior. Latter tannery and pet food plant³

1976 – Not sure if this is correct because in 88 frieght company say they worked for Blayney’s last 43 years.

1963

• February. At this time is an export facility operated by Blayney (Abattoir) County council⁶
  • Has chilling, freezing and freezing storage facilities⁶

1976

• Tenders for contract to build beef facilities¹ –
  • 2 story building, 1,800 sq m, able to process 100 head cattle per hour¹
  • Electrical, Mechancial, Ventalation, Visera tables¹
  • To commence construction November 1976¹

1987

• Nov. Is registered at this time as an export facility
  • Operating under the name – Blayney Abattoir

1996

• ANZCO bought insolvent abattoir from MPhee Meats – left unsecured creditors owed $6M²

1997

• July. Is registered at this time as an export facility⁸
  • Operating under the name ANZCO foods Pty Ltd⁸

1998

• April. Operations scaled back in recent weeks, Some 1,600 staff had previously been employed, now there was barely 100⁵
• May. Closed – reason cited by ANZCO- stock shortage²
  • Industry sources say ANZCO left with large stocks or unsol meat as a result of Asian currency crisis²
  • NSW Meat Industry Authority (MIA)”there is definitely no shortage of stock or supply”²
  • “This year cattle killed in abattoirs have averaged 43,000 head a week an increase on average of 10,000 head over last the last year(dated 10.03.1998) Richard Tpnner, MIA²
  • AMIEU – suspect economic factors rather than stock shortages were behind closure²
  • sacked workers given one weeks notice – 580 people²
  • AMIEU accused ANZCO avoiding termination payments and redundancies – could be millions of dollars. – by citing seasonal factors allows ANZCO 8 month lee period before being deemed at closed for purpose of redundancy liability²
  • Blayney refus to indicate how long plant closed for.²
• Refrigerated transport business who carried livestock and refrigerated meat for abattoir last 43 years also closed and selling 14 prime movers and trailers – abattoir was seasonal and not suited to transport company²
• other recent closures Grafton, Gunnedah and Canberra²

2010

• March. Aus meat listing of March 2010 doesn’t show Blayney #155 abattoir as a registered facility⁹.

2014

• September. Proposal is put to council to build a new goat abattoir in the region²⁰
  • Proposed $38M¹⁰
    • Facility would be attached to existing Blayney Sealink Cold store complex¹⁰
    • Plans have been submitted to council¹¹
      • Expectations to commence building middle 2015¹¹

2016

• June. Approval has not yet been received for development to go ahead¹¹
  • Environmental concerns with 25 objections received¹¹

 

Sources

1. ‘New beef facilities – calling for tenders’ The Age 08.09.1976
2. ‘600 sacked workers given just a weeks pay’ Sydney morning herald. 10.03.1998. http://www.abattoirs.com.au
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blayney,_New_South_Wales
4. ‘Abattoir industry in a disastrous state’ ABC Rural 16.02.10
5. Parliamentary Hansard. Speaker Mr RW Turner. 30.04.1998
6. World on a plate – A history of meat processing in Australia. Stephen Martyn. 2014
7. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-12/2438-million-goat-abattoir-proposal-for-blayney-sparks-efforts/5739222
8. Aus Meat July 1997 Listing
9. Aus Meat Mar 2010 Listing
10. ‘Investing $38M at Blayney’ The Land 18/09/2014
11. ‘Developers expect $38M Blayney …….’ Central Western Daily 07/06/2016