Cowra abattoir is located about 250km west of Sydney, it is currently operating but not export registered. It was export registered in 1997 as a pig processing facility only.
Other Names
Current Operation
- Is currently operating at time of writing 27.12.2013.
Location
- Cowra is located approximately 250km west of Sydney
Source – Hema Maps – Australia Truckies atlas.
Owner
- David Mulligan – Up to late 20063
- sole director
- Chris Cummins ( 2007)
Operation
History
1928
- Discussion in town to establish abattoir
1966
- Public meeting was held to discuss abattoir establishment. 250 people attended.
- Decision to form company
- 50% capital raised locally rest from Sydney company
1970
- Abattoir commenced operation
2006
- April. Workchoices legislation came into effect March 27th – Abattoir wanted to shed 29 workers, on the promise of taking back 20 under the federal award1
- 16 beef and 13 pig slaughtermen told to finish up May 51
- Managers Letter to workers1
“We deeply regret this situation: however, given the current economic conditions we must take this action to ensure the ongoing viability of the abattoir” Ray Petterson Cowra abattoir manager.1 - Abattoir wanted to amalgamate it’s pig and cow processing teams – reason gave for sackings.8
- Managers Letter to workers1
- One slaughterman quoted his wages prior were $880 per week Federal award would be $580.1
- had been prior enterprise agreements in place – it was being removed 12 months ahead of schedule.1
- 22 workers offered jobs – would be paid less than before dispute but more than initially offered by abattoir, remaining workers offered redundancies.8
- 16 beef and 13 pig slaughtermen told to finish up May 51
- July. Federal Government workplace watchdog found – “Employers can sack workers and rehire them on lower pay and conditions in order to secure their company’s financial viability” Nicholas Wilson – Office of Workplace services director2
- Abattoir backed down and took back the workers on the same original pay3
- August Business was shut down and administrator appointed3
- 200 workers told there was no money to pay their entitlements3
- workers owed $2.8M – annual leave, long service leave4
- Collapse of sale negotiations worth $8M3
- 200 workers told there was no money to pay their entitlements3
- September – Investigation into transfer of $2M moved between companies uncovered by administrator4
- David Mulligan transferred $1.7M to another of his companies PD Mulligan Holdings4
- last transaction nearly $1M transferred only weeks before closure4
- Company had entered into uncommerical transaction aware that PD Mulligan my not have been able to repay4
- Company may have also traded while insolvent4
- Creditor – National Australia bank – owed $1M4
- Liquidator – Frasers Insolvency said PD Mulligan a guarantor of the NAB loan, had discharged the abattoirs debt to NAB and now held the mortgage over the abattoir7
- Instead of NAB being 1st mortgagee, now PD Mulligan was,7
- Bank was charging 18% interest, PD Mulligan was charging 8%7
- The bank charge was enforcable but before employee entitlements7
- AMIEU advising members to vote against proposal of Frasers to take over administration of PD Mulliagan as there would be a conflict of interest – firm acting as liquidator of abattoir and administrator of priority creditor7
- December – Liquidators announced they entered into agreement for facility to be sold $2M and reopen early 20073
- Local businessmen behind purchase – Stock buyer Chris Cummins and local businessman George Kollas.
- Possibly able to offer 120 jobs if re-open in February 20075
- Plan to slaughter sheep, lambs, cattle and pigs at the plant and supply meat locally and to Sydney, Canberra, Southern Highlands, South Coast and Newcastle markets5
- Other buyers had been considered but primarily interested in selling off abattoirs assets5
2012
- June. upgraded facilities to improve animal welfare6
- Installed surveillance cameras – $15,0006
- Installed a head restraint to assist when stunning cattle with bolt stunner. cost $150,0006
- Pigs are gassed using carbon monoxide6
- Operator of the facility at this time – Chris Cummins6
- Chris Cummins wants animal welfare rules in Australia to go further to make it harder for the meat works with low standards (to operate)6
- Cowra abattoir supplies 300 restaurants and butchers making it the largest domestic meat wholesaler in the state.6
- July – Carbon tax starts – will make kill fees 5-6% greater9
- Independent pricing and regulatory Tribunal (IPART) says electricity prices could rise by 18%, hald of rise attributable to the carbon tax.9
2015
- February. National Sheep health monitoring project is begun
- Provide information on diseases and conditions detected on the slaughter floor of abattoirs
- Provide sheep producers with feedback
- Provide information on conditions such as grass seeds, pleurisy, arthritis and sheep measles
- Conditions requiring trimming at the abattoir include sarcocystis, rib fractures, cheesy gland and vaccine lesions
Sources Cowra. #3173
- ‘A lot of beef about for abattoir workers’ SMH 04.04.2006
- ‘Watchdog clears Cowra abattoir over sackings’ The Age 08.07.2006
- ‘Cowra abattoir set to re-open’ http://www.news.com.
- ‘Cowra abattoir owner faces investigation’ ABC Online 11.09.2006
- ‘Locals to save Cowra abattoir’ The Land 28.12.2006
- ‘inside the kill room at the Cowra meat works’ http://www.abc.net.au. 11.06.2012.
- ‘Abattoir boss in dash for cash’ The Telegraph 04.10.2006
- ‘Jobs on lower pay for Cowra workers’ The Advertiser 15.06.2006
- ‘Chris Cummins on Cowra abattoir on the carbon tax debarcle’ Meat trade News daily. 07.07.2012
- ‘Politics in Place- Social power relations in an Australian country town’ Ian Gray. Pg 38
- http://www.theland.com.au/story/3381290/thinking-outside-the-slaughter-box/?cs=4963#!. 10.11.2014. See Cootamundra
- http://www.farmonline.com.au/story/3380028/abattoir-surveillance-lifts-sheep-health-profits/. 24.02.2015
- http://www.farmonline.com.au/story/3376282/bush-towns-welcome-syrian-refugees/. 24.09.2015
- http://www.theland.com.au/story/4924111/passing-of-meat-industry-identity/. 15.11.2016
- http://www.theland.com.au/story/4924111/passing-of-meat-industry-identity/. 15.09.2017
Tagged: australian abattoir history, Australian meat processing, carbon tax impacts on abattoirs, Closed Australian abattoirs, Cowra abattoir, New South Wales abattoirs, NSW abattoirs, re-opened abattoirs
Leave a Reply