Orange

Other Names

Current Operation

Location   

• Orange is located 250 km east of Sydney
  
• Abbattoir is located on Clergate road

 

Hema Maps – Australia Truckies atlas.

Owner

• Roger’s meats²
• TA Field²
• Metro Meats²
• Bindaree Beef¹
  • McDonald Family
  • Purchased in 1992²
  • Also own Inverell abattoir (NSW) about 1995/96, and Murgon abattoir (QLD)²

Operation   

History

1920’s

• First opened by the Graziers meat service²

1960’s

• by this period the plant was on of the largest meat works in NSW²
• Soon dogged by²
  • stock shortages²
  • industrial action²
  • volatile export market²

1992

• McDonald Family who also own Inverell (Bindaree Beef) abattoir (NSW)
  • purchase the Orange facility
    • at this stage it is a meat processing facility that doesn’t slaughter animals.

2002

• Originally only a packing room, the slaughter floor was opened at this time²
• Closed after only 9 months operation²
  • 350 people out of work²

2004

• June. Last 18 months meatworks in Woy Woy, Mudgee abattoir (NSW), Orange, Forbes abattoir (NSW) have all closed, loss of close to 500 jobs.³
• Bindaree Beef announce a major recruitment drive that would lead to 1,200 new jobs at the abattoir²

2005

• August. Recruitment drive on hold as plant is limited to ‘value adding ‘ operation at present²
• Work has been carried out at plant over the last 4 years is continuing²

2010

• article notes that the Orange abattoir was closed and scrapped. (not date specific)³

Sources

1. ‘Abattoir cuts 150 jobs’ AMIEU Archives. 05.07.2004
2. ‘Bindarees Beef’s 1,200 jobs are still on hold’ Central West Daily 14.08.2005
3. ‘Who is JR McDonald’ The Land 05.03.2010