Rockhampton – Lakes Creek

There is a historical Lakes Creek abattoir and the current facility that Teys operate at Rockhampton. It is not clear if the two sites are the same location or one was dismantled and another built.

Other Names

• Rockhampton abattoir – there is another facility in Rockhampton operated by JBS, Rockhampton (QLD – JBS)
• Lakes Creek abattoir

Current Operation

• Aus Meat Accreditation registration dated 29/12/2015 #7 – Teys Australia Meat Group Pty Ltd.⁴⁵
  • registered as a Beef, Offal export facility.⁴⁵
• Direct employment enquiries to Teys Employment Information

Location   Owner

• Teys
• Abattoirs owned by Teys in Queensland
  • Rockhampton Lakes Ck (QLD)
  • Biloela (QLD)
  • Beenleigh (QLD)
• Abattoirs owned by Teys in NSW
  • Tamworth (NSW)
  • Naracoorte (NSW)
  • Wagga (NSW)

Source http://www.teysaust.com.au. the Teys-Cargill Australia Logo

Operation

• Teys operate 3 feedlots¹²
  • Jindalee (NSW)¹²
  • Condamine (QLD)¹²
  • Charlton (Vic)¹²
• Hide Processing Facility in Murgon¹²
• Value adding facilities¹²
  • Hemmant – Produces cooked deli smallgoods and convenience meals¹²
  • Wagga Wagga – produces case ready goods for retail¹²

For employment information go to  Teys Employment Information

Other historical and current meat processing facilities located in Australia can be viewed at;

Australian abattoirs inactive map

 

History of Rockhampton – Lakes Creek #7

1871

• The Lakes Creek abattoir was built.(Pg 261)¹⁵
  • Owned by an English company – Central Queensland Meat Export Company¹⁵
• Operated as a cannery³⁵
• The plant was a dominent element in the regions economy⁴⁰
  • at this time Lakes Creek was a company town⁴⁰
  • meatworks built housing for its employees⁴⁰

1872

• Lakes Creek processes three quarters of all the sheep processed by Queensland canneries (Pg 39)³⁵
• Facility was heavily in debt due to mainly expenses associated with the Jone patent process (Pg 39)³⁵
  • authors note – I have not found what this patent was but assume it was to do with the technology and process of canning meat.

1874

• April. company was bankrupt³⁵
• Enforced closure of the facility due to the high price of cattle. (Pg 261)¹⁵
  • Remained idle until 1877¹⁵

1877

• Facility was purchased by liquidators of Whitehead & Co. (Pg 261)¹⁵
  • Proposal was to move boiling downs works that Whitehead’s owned from Laurel Bank to Lakes Creek.¹⁵
  • Whitehead & Co also owned a meatworks at Ramornie (NSW, near Grafton)¹⁵
  • Whitehead & Co had a contract to supply 2M lb of preserved meats to the French Government but had been unable to obtain sufficent cattle in NSW to fill the contract¹⁵

1880

• Whitehead & co went into liquidation (Pg 261)¹⁵
  • closure was stated as not being the fault of the Lakes Creek operation itself¹⁵
• A second Central QLD Meat Export Co. was formed and reopened the works (Pg 261)¹⁵

1883

• A freezing plant was added (Pg 261)¹⁵
• September this year the chambers were full of frozen meat for the pioneering enterprise of exporting frozen product on the Fiado. The Ship was late and a fire went through the facility¹⁵
  • Opportunity had been robbed of Lakes Creek the honour of sending the first consignment to Britian¹⁵
    • In 1884 the first cargo of frozen meat was loaded from Bowen but a cyclone stranded the vessel, destroyed the product and the Bowen works.(Pg 262)¹⁵
    • The first frozen consignments from Australia didn’t occur until 1896.¹⁵
  • 200 employees were out of work¹⁵

1884

• Works resumed operations (Pg 261)¹⁵

1885

• Company went into liquidation (Pg 261)¹⁵
  • Due mainly to the expense of rebuilding and installing imported plant equipment¹⁵

1886

• Melbourne Syndicate took the facility over (Pg 261)¹⁵
  • Andrew Rowan, George Fairbairn and John Living¹⁵

1901

• Facility was purchased by a company formed in London (Pg 261)¹⁵

1910’s

• Tinned beef was a staple ration for war soldiers in WWI⁴⁰
  • accompanied by hard tack biscuits⁴⁰
  • Bully Beef – corruption of the French name “bouilli” meaning boiled or corned, referenced to small hard grains of salt used to preserve the meat⁴⁰
• Rockhampton produced various tinned labels – Herford, Devon (not the  pork based luncheon meat of that name) and Hamper⁴⁰
  • including frozen sides meat for export and domestic butcher shops⁴⁰
• All parts of the animal were used⁴⁰
  • what was not edible was processed into fertiliser and by-products⁴⁰

1918

• Major flood year

1928

• Facility was idle due to the strain of the post war depression (Pg 261)¹⁵
  • meat market was very dull¹⁵
• Facility then went to a syndicate headed by Sir William Angliss and FJ Walker (Pg 261)¹⁵
  • Operated under their control until 1934¹⁵

1934

• Vesteys, British based but international organisation purchased Lakes Creek. (Pg 261)¹⁵
• Facility began to prosper due to the Empire preference granted under the Ottawa Agreement (pg 261)¹⁵
  • The Imperial Preference was a series of bilateral agreements of limited tarriffs within the British Empire but higher on goods from the rest of the world. Principal was based on “home producers first, empire producers second, and foreign producers last”¹⁶
• Improved plant, chilling, freezing and processing facilities were established over the coming years.(Pg 261)¹⁵
• By products were saved and processed(Pg 261)¹⁵

1938

• Lakes Creek is paying 4/ per 100lb¹⁴
  • authors note – I think the / is shillings.
• Northern Graziers are complaining of the high costs of freight and low price that Townsville abattoir is paying.¹⁴
  • They call for a public abattoir to be established and operated by the government in Townsville.¹
    • To operated under the Abattoirs Bill that allowed government to acquire operate the Canon Hill facilities in Brisbane, enacted in 1934 (Pg 264)¹⁶

1946

• Teys formed as a partnership of 4 brothers to process meat for wholesaling and retailing¹³

1949

• Queensland herd was deminished due to demands of Australia feeding Allied forces in WWII⁴⁰
• Plans were being pushed to develope the channel country in the west and increase QLD’s beef-raising capacity⁴⁰

1950’s

• Canned meat, known as bully beef, tinned corn meat was being boxed and sealed on hands-on assembly lines⁴⁰
  • refer Year 1910 for more info.

Source ‘Bully for our Beef exports’ The Courier Mail 17.07.2011 Workers packing corned beef into cartons at Lakes Creek meatworks

1954

• February 3. Season commenced³⁸
  • Ended December 17³⁸
  • Flooding Between February 11 to 22 of Fitzroy river system³⁸
  • Killing season 1954 constituted a record³⁸
  • “Meat supplies were maintained but killing took place in the abattoir surrounded by water to a depth of 2 feet”⁴¹
• Facility was undergoing extensive alterations and improvements to beef killing floor³⁸
  • When completed the killing floor would be one of the most modern in Australia³⁸
  • Handle greater throughput³⁸
  • OH & S issues improved³⁸
• Pigs killed at the facility had also increased on 1953.³⁸
• Queensland cattle herds had recovered from dry conditions during most of 1951.³⁸
  • Channel Country was underutilised due to lack of quick and commercial transport for cattle³⁸
  • Cattle were grown out to large framed animals to withstand long walking distances³⁸
    • These animals were not the preferred types for killing³⁸
    • UL introduced – Baby Beef grade³⁸
      • significantly effected  producers to turn off younger animals with lighter frame³⁸

1958

• Daily processing capacity 987 head of cattle. (Pg 261)¹⁵

1991

• Major flood year

2001

• Employed 1,350 people¹⁸
• Currently the second largest abattoir in Australia¹⁸
• December. CMG lock out workers to force them to accept wage cuts, a six day production schedule and unlimited overtime²²
  • Meat workers were forced back to work under a federal award that was $320 in wage cut for some workers²²

2002

• January. Management refused to open works¹⁸
• March 2. Protesters march through the CBD of Rockhampton in support of the 1350 workers who lost their jobs when the plant closed in mid January.²⁴
  • AMIEU called for mass protest²⁴
    • AMIEU demanding re-opening and reinstatement of the workers without massive cuts to pay and conditions.²⁴
    • supported by the Construction, Mining & Energy , Forestry & Manufacturing workers  unions²⁴
• April. Lakes Creek abattoir is locked into a bitter dispute over pay and conditions between the now owner Consolidated Meat Group (Kerry Packer) and the Australasian Meat Industry Employees’ Association.¹⁷
• Facility will not be re-opening as early as planned¹⁷
• May. Facility reopened but cut the workforce back to 700¹⁸
• June. Plant was planned to be shut down entirely¹⁸
• July 11. Workers begin a 5 day strike and re-establish a picket line outside the plant²²
  • Strike is about production levels in the boning room and is part of a ongoing dispute of conditions of new work agreement²²
• July 30. Facility is offically closed.²⁵
• August. Negotiation had been occuring for an Enterprise bargain agreement for the last 8 months¹⁸
• Consolidated Meat had come to agreement on Terms with Teys $1.2B joint venture to operate, Naracoote (SA), Beenleigh, Biloela and Innisfail (QLD)¹⁸
  • Deal to take effect in October¹⁸
  • Company had promised full severence pay but it would be at the lowest agreed rates¹⁸
  • Consolidated Meat had been awarded with $20M US Beef Quotas¹⁸
  • Governments Scheme based on 2001 rates, 40,000t known as the “Packer clause”¹⁸
    • Lakes Creek only produced 3,000t since June 2002¹⁸
    • 2001 they had produced 49,000t¹⁸
    • quota flows into the merger entity¹⁸
    • Consolidated Meat will receive same quota in 2003 even though plant would be close.¹⁸
• Abattoir is closed at this point in time 20/08/2002¹⁹
  • It did open for short periods but had ongoing industrial disputes with protected industrial action begin taken¹⁹
  • Variety of owners of Lakes Creek plant had been unprofitable over the last decade¹⁹
• ACCC investigate if merger of CMG and Teys would lead to reduced competition in terms of prices for cattle²⁰
  • ACCC decide not to interven in proposed merger²⁰
• November. Jim Downey is appointed general manager at the plant²¹
  • Had been plant manager at Biloela²¹
  • Plant was still closed but undergoing major installations²¹
• Drought was the single biggest factor now determining Lakes Creek operation²¹

2004

• July. After nearly 2 years of being closed Lakes Creek re-opens²⁵
  • 160 workers will start when the first kill takes place²⁵
  • boning room will then begin employee numbers to be more than 300 in total²⁵
    • Intention is to start with small production, settle the plant and make sure problems can be solved²³
    • $1M in pay cheques will be injected into the community each month from the start up.²³
  • Facility will gradually build towards a kill capacity of 2,500 head and employ 1,000 people.²⁵
• 6 weeks prior to opening Teys had been finalising plans to re-open and purchasing stock²⁵
• Profit margins for the processing sector currently as high as $150 a head²⁵
  • Fallen due to a stronger Aussie dollar and the falling price of Japanese full sets.²⁵
• Originally the plant had been planned to open later in the year but successful negotiations with the AMIEU helped to bring the opening forward to July²⁵
• Re-opening was said not to be influenced by the risk of losing US export licences²⁵
• Lakes Creek had applied and received $660,000 – Under Regional Partnership grant.²⁶
  • Assisted the facility to go back into business²⁶
  • Funds were used to upgrade computer system and plumbing²⁶
  • 2 other meatworks in the region, and operating didn’t receive the grant²⁶
  • Labor criticised the Government for providing taxpayers money to a commercial venture that could give an unfair advantage²⁶

2005

• A shortage of skilled workers in Australia forces the company to look overseas²⁹
  • People had been lost to the meatworks who have gone to the mining industry²⁹
  • 60 vietnamese begin working at Lakes Creek²⁹
  • Joining the 97 Brazilians already there²⁹

2006

• CMG implemented industry award²⁷
  • Required to cut it’s 1,300 workers wages by 30% to remain competitive in the tightening beef export market²⁷
  • CMG attempted to draw up new rosters that included²⁷
    • night time and Saturday shifts without penalty rates²⁷
      • Exceeded 38 hour cap²⁷
  • Union workers voted against the new proposal and would only return to work on genuine award conditions.²⁷

2009

• December. Facility is considering job cuts over the next few weeks⁴²
• General Manager – Wasantha Mudannayake⁴²
  • Reason for need to reduce jobs was livestock numbers had dropped due to overseas exports⁴²
• Biloela abattoir (QLD) – also owned and operated by Teys announced cutting of 40 foreign workers jobs⁴²

2010

• February.Tom Macquire – General Manager of corporate affairs for Teys Bros²⁸
• Lakes reopened after being closed for a short period following heavy rain.²⁸
• Currently employing 760 people²⁸
• Between April 2010 to February 2012 – Teys Employ 480 humanitarian refugees²⁹
  • “Without humanitarian and skilled migrants Teys would find it very hard to continue production at sustainable levels at some sites, particularly in Rockhampton and Biloela”²⁹
• Since 1982 approximately 31 abattoirs have closed across Queensland³⁰
  • Slaughter capacity had increased by 50%³⁰
  • QLD meat processors forefront in adopting improved practices and technologies³⁰
• Last 2-3 years³⁰
  • competition has come from restockers and live cattle exporters³⁰
  • Lower export beef prices as a result of higher Australian dollar³⁰
  • Export abattoirs have reduced throughput and cut shifts and the number of killing days.³⁰
• Major flood year

2011

• July. Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) don’t oppose Teys Bros & Cargill Beef Australia Merger⁴²
  • View that the proposed merger would be unlikely to substantially lesson competition in any of the markets examined⁴²
    • ‘fat’ cattle ready for slaughter⁴²
    • acquisition of ‘feeder’ cattle destined for feedlots⁴²
    • supply of processed beef to retailers and wholesalers⁴²
• Teys CEO – Brad Teys – says been 30 years since he’s seen cattle supply so tight⁴⁴
  • Producer’s aren’t selling cattle⁴⁴
    • due to poor prices⁴⁴
      • forced the company to reduce kill days⁴⁴
    • Rocky is working on 3 days a week kill⁴⁴

• September. Teys forms partnership with Cargill³⁷
  • New business – 6 plants³⁷
    • Rockhampton Lakes Ck (QLD)
    • Biloela (QLD)
    • Beenleigh (QLD)
    • Tamworth (NSW)
    • Naracoorte (NSW)
    • Wagga (NSW)
    • Combined daily kill capacity 6,400 head
  • Purchase price not disclosed or percentages of ownership³⁷
  • Industry and media guess AUS$500M³⁷
  • With some rationalisation and mergers some abattoirs close if they overlap or surplus production capacity – that doesn’t look it will occur with the Teys Cargill merger³⁷
• Federal Government Carbon tax legislation³⁶
  • Creates a 2 tier system with those who generate more than 25,000 t of carbon each year to pay more³⁶
    • Basic  costs would be $4 per head for all facilities³⁶
  • Lakes Creek exceeds 25,000 threshold – would be liable to pay higher permit costs³⁶
    • extra $2 head, adding up to extra $7M across Teys/Cargil enterprise.³⁶
  • Abattoirs are energy-intensive business, Trade exposed, with export constituting majority of total production, narrow profit margins³⁶
    • Carbon tax would disadvantage Australian facilities³⁶
  • Government indicated there would be assistance for to introduce measures to reduce emissions to assit processors³⁶

2012

• Between April 2010 to February 2012 – Teys Employed 480 humanitarian refugees²⁹
  • By February 306 were still actively employed²⁹
• December. AMIEU was investigating reports of working conditions of 100 workers who were part of the humanitarian program²⁹

2013

• March. Lakes Creek facility receives a grant from the Federal Government $4.17 for operational upgrades.³¹
  • Governments Clean Technology Food and Foundaries Investment Program³¹
  • Will assist Teys to improve competitiveness, local economy and environment.³¹
• Upgrades begin of the waste water treatment plant³⁹
  • involve building a new waste water treatment lagoons and installing a biogas boiler and handling equipment³⁹
  • Methane emitted during the waste water treatment will be used to generate steam used at the facility³⁹
  • reduce the facilities coal consumption by 30%³⁹
  • Upgrade set to be completed by June 2015³⁹
  • Cost $16M³⁹
• Lakes Creek facility receives the Ministers Enterprise Award as part of the QLD state government’s annual Multicultural Awards for cultutal diversity¹⁰
  • Award recognises work and and volunteering efforts that develop strong, culturally diverse communities and promote awareness of the benefits of the cultural diversity in the state.¹⁰
• Teys employed 4,500 across Australia¹⁰
  • Simply not enough local workers to operate the plants¹⁰
  • International workers were needed to fill the spaces¹⁰
• In Rockhampton the mining boom left plants wth an employment shortfall¹⁰
  • Lakes Creek employs more than 1,000 people of 29 different nationalities¹⁰
  • Employ a significant number of humanitarian refugees and supports induction and training practices that assist new workers¹⁰
  • partnerships with settlement service providers and other groups in the community to employ and assist the workers.¹⁰

2014

• June. Teys lobby government to repeal the Carbon tax¹¹ Teys Media Release to repeal carbon tax
  • “Manufacturers are closing down across the country due to unnecessary costs and charges on business” Tom Maguire Teys general manager of corporate affairs.¹¹
  • countries Australia competes against do not have the burden of the carbon tax¹¹
  • there is a direct link between the Carbon tax and competitiveness in the market place¹¹
• July. Rockhampton meatworks in the area employ more than 2,000 people¹
  • Added more than $600M into the community¹
• Teys don’t support establishment of a live cattle export port at Port Alma (Rockhampton)¹
• Would be better for politicians to look at transport costs within Australia¹.
  • currently costs $14M a year to rail product from Rockhampton and Biloela to the Port of Brisbane¹
  • Development of a port at Rockhampton and Gladstone for shipment of containers would be better.¹

Source The Bulletin. 01.12.2012

The Lakes Creek abattoir, Rockhampton. Queensland

2014

• Teys is inducted into QLD business leaders hall of fame.³²
• Teys currently process 32,000 cattle per week across Australia³²
  • Generates a turnover of $2.5B annually³²

2015

• February. Newly elected QLD Agriculture Minister – Bill Byrne said he “supported the live cattle trade under appropriate circumstances, but it would likely threaten the viability of the processors and value-adding of the local meat processing industry“²
• Cyclone Marcia hits Rockhampton 20/02/2015.³
  • 47,000 homes with no electricity³
  • Damage to buildings, bridges, destruction of crops and fencing.³
  • Flood levels were already high in Callide Valley and exacerbated by release of water from Callide Dam³
• Lakes Creek abattoir suffers some minor damage to the roofing of the head office building³
• Facility closed and wouldn’t likely operate for the rest of that week³
  • Plant and Equipment are OK³
  • most significant impact is no power, sewerage and water³
  • Until those services are restored the plant can’t operate³
  • Temporary amenities facilities had to be installed because of damage to existing ones⁹
• Chilled and Frozen product was being maintained by generators³
• Number of animals at the facility were getting water and fodder to ensure their welfare³
• No kill occured on the day of the cyclone 20/02/2015 and wouldn’t for the rest of that week.⁴
• Any cattle that were meant to be processed at Lakes Creek that week would be diverted to Biloela or Beenleigh.⁴
• Cattle that had been at the plant at the time of the cyclone were returned to some producers at Teys cost⁵
  • Half were moved to other plants⁵
  • If the animals were stressed they would have lost weight and cut darker therefore Teys paid  a flat rate to the producers⁵
  • Temperatures climbed to 38 degrees with high humidity following the cyclone and some cattle suffered heat stress⁵
  • Heat stressed animals were not transported to care for their welfare⁵
• Teys anticipate they would not be in the market for cattle all that week for Lakes Creek or Biloela⁴
• Combination of their buying power not present in markets for the 3 abattoirs affected by the cyclone – Lakes Creek, Biloela and Rockhampton (JBS) accounted for 2,000 head per day⁴
• Teys advise the plant will be closed longer than anticipated⁵
  • Many of the employees at the plant were overseas workers and not entitled to any government support⁵
  • Asbestos in exposed building material had slowed repairs at the site⁷
    • Asbestos was commonly used in older facilities⁷
    • Specialised workers wore plastic suits in 40 degree heat⁹
• Facility likely to open 09/03/2015.⁶
• Longreach cattle market sales had been cancelled due to the disruptions at the meatworks⁶
• Markets still strong but there was congestion of cattle in the market⁶
• QLD’s kill retracted to 75,275 head, down 7% as a direct consequence of the first weeks closure⁸
• Where possible Teys was making forward payments to producers for cattle held up by the event⁹
• Teys to restart the kill floor 18/03/2015 killing 1,000 head to increase to 1,600⁹

Source http://www.teysaust.com.au Product brand that are produced by Teys.

Sources Rockhampton – Lakes Creek #7

1. ‘We’re not against live export but….’ QLD Country Life 17.07.2014
2. ‘MP wary of live cattle trade at meatworks’ expense’ The Bulletin 21.02.2015
3. ‘Disaster declaration expected today as Cyclone Marcia farm damage bill grows’ ABC Rural 24.02.2015
4. ‘Power outages, structural damage from cyclone knock-out CQ plants’ Beef Central 23.02.2015
5. ‘Asbestos closes JBS plant indefinitely’ 26.02.2015
6. ‘Central QLD abattoirs closed for second week following Cyclone Marcia’ ABC Rural 27.02.2015
7. ‘Rockhampton processing delays longer than expected, in wake of Cyclone Marcia’ Beef Central 27.02.2015
8. ‘Weekly Kill: Cyclone impact reflected in lower tally’ Beef Central 03.03.2015
9. ‘First Rocky Plant back to work Tomorrow’ Beef Central 17.03.2015
10. ‘Lakes Creek plant earns QLD multi-cultural award’ Beef Central 13.09.2013
11. ‘Meat Processor calls on new seante to stop games and repeal carbon tax’ Teys Media Release 03.06.2014
12. Teys Website-facilities
13. http://www.teysaust.com.au/about/
14. ‘Public Abattoir Needed’ Courier-Mail 27.08.1938
15. ‘Triumph in the Tropics’ 1959 Queensland Government
16. Empire preference Ottawa Agreement
17. ‘Lakes Creek abattoir re-opening plans delayed’ www.justfood.com 25.04.2002
18. ‘Government rewards Packer for meatworks closure’ the Guardian 07.08.2002
19. Parliament Hansard – Meat Industry Consultive structure and quota allocation 20.08.2002
20. ACCC – Consolidated Meat Group and Teys Bros merger proposal
21. ‘Drought biggest driver of Lakes Creek Opening’ QLD CL 14.11.2002
22. ‘Lakes Creek Workers continue dispute’ www.wsws.org 13.07.2002
23. ‘Lakes Creek abattoir to reopen’ ABC rural 13.07.2004
24. ‘Thousands march to support meatworkers’ Green left 13.03.2002
25. ‘Lakes Creek reopens Monday’ QLD CL 15.07.2004
26. ‘Packer Firm given grant for abattoir’ SMH 19.02.2005
27. ‘Union Avoidance Strategies in the meat processing/packing industry in Australia and the USA compared’ Jerrard, O’Leary
28. ‘Lakes Creek has few lifelines’ the Bulletin 11.02.2010
29. ‘Union investigates raw deal for refugees at abattoir’ The Bulletin 01.12.2012
30. QLD Beef Industry Beef situation analysis 2010
31. ‘Meatworks gets Federal Government grant’ Daily Mercury 05.03.2013
32. 2014 Inductee – QLD business Leaders Hall of Fame
33. History
34. Great Barrier Reef – Environmental History, Ben Daley
35. ‘To Feed a Nation – A history of Australian food science and technology ‘ Kieth Farrer. 2005
36. ‘Carbon tax could cost $19M year for big three processors’ Brahman News. 2011
37. ”Cargill & Teys merger good for the beef industry’ Meat Trade Daily. 22.05.2011
38. ‘Lakes Creek meatworks had record year’ CQ Herald 06.01.1955
39. ‘Methane for power at Teys Australia Lakes Creek meatworks’ The Bulletin 19.03.2014
40. ‘Bully for our beef exports’ Courier Mail 17.07.2011
41. AMIC Prime Cuts Newsletter 11.01.2011
42. ‘Meatworks jobs may get the chop’ The Morning Bulletin 11.12.2009
43. ACCC will not oppose Teys Bros & Cargill Beef Australia proposed merger
44. ‘Cattle supply chokes’ ABC Rural 14.07.2011
45. AUS-MEAT Accreditation Listing 29.12.2015

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