Category Archives: Guyra

NSW abattoir list A – Z.

This list is only of those facilities currently on this blog.

For sites in other parts of Australia, go to Australian Abattoir Locations

 

Aberdeen abattoir. Closed. Last owned by AMH

Bega. Current operation unknown

Blayney abattoir. Closed Last owned by ANZCO

Bourke (Proposed) Goat

Camperdown

Casino abattoir. Currently operating

Collarenbri. Proposed goat abattoir

Coonabarabran abattoir. Closed

Coonamble abattoir

Cootamundra

Cowra abattoir. Currently operating

Culcairn

Deniliquin abattoir. Current operation unknown

Dubbo abattoir. Currently operational. The largest sheepmeat processing facility in Australia.

Duringula abattoir

Forbes abattoir (NSW)

Goulburn abattoir

Grafton

Gundagai

Gunnedah

Guyra abattoir

Harden abattoir. Closed in 2006.

Inverell. Better known as Bindaree Beef. Currently in operation.

Lismore

Oberon abattoir

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Aberdeen abattoir

Now closed, located in north east NSW, was last owned by AMH.
Historically a very old facility – originally began in 1891. Most recently upgraded in 1996, closed 1999,

Bega

Opened in 2004 as a small species abattoir processing rabbits and poultry, located south of Canberra in NSW. Had operating cost issues in 2013, closure threatened.

Blayney abattoir

Located in southeast NSW. Began operations as a freezing works in 1900, became insolvent in 1996, then purchased by ANZCO, with debts still owing to unsecured creditors of $6M. Closed in 1998. AMIEU citing economic reasons rather than stock shortages as the main cause of closure.

Bourke (Proposed) Goat

2008 local council proposed establishment of a goat abattoir to process 1,500 goats a day.

Camperdown abattoir

Located only 8km Sydney, closed 1991 following violent industrial disputes.

Casino abattoir

Currently operating in 2014. The only Australian farmer co-operative abattoir of its kind. Specialised Wagyu plant that has two operating floors for different size slaughter animals.

Collarenebri (Proposed) Goat

Formally a failed emu and ostrich abattoir a proposal was put forward in 2008 to develop the site to process 750 goats a day for 8 months of the year.

Coonabarbran abattoir

Located 600km north west of Sydney. Was the only abattoir in the region that did service kill of 3 species, cattle, lamb and pigs. Had environmental pollution problems in 2008 which attracted legal action and fines. Closed in 2012 citing costs of fines from 2008 issues.

Coonamble abattoir

Closed in 2001 due to government GST and regulation costs, is currently being upgraded for reopening in 2014

Cootamundra abattoir

Cowra abattoir

Located 250km west of Sydney the abattoir has been through closures but is currently operating.
Commenced operations in 1970, pay disputes in 2006, administrator appointed in same year. While insolvent owner conducted illegal activity by transfer of deed to another company and allocating 1st mortgage status to it and not the bank, with employee entitlements last and unable to be paid. Administrators sold facility in 2007, it underwent significant upgrades in 2012 with CCTV installed.

Culcairn abattoir

Deniliquin abattoir

Deniliquin had a freezing works in the late 1800’s. The current abattoir was built at a different site and was operating prior to 1990. It opened and closed a number of times. Recently being sold the facility has undergone upgrades with intentions of being opened in 2013

Dubbo abattoir

Largest sheep meat processor in Australia currently in operation. A new plant built in 1988 which was the first to have a processing chain that was a hot boning system for mutton. When developed the employment was shift based and not tally as other abattoirs at the time. Did have a wool processing facility that is now closed. Production has been affected by supply of animals, high Australian dollar, sheep prices and reduction of the Australian sheep herd. It proposed in 2010 to merge 2 shifts for one as a 10 hour work day, unions resisted.

Duringula

Located mid north east NSW, currently closed. Local government considering injecting funds for refurbishment of the facility.

Forbes abattoir

Located southwest NSW, built in the 1950’s, owned and operated by Japanese 1988 to 2003. Plant required significant capital upgrades which the owners were not prepared to do and it closed in 2003. Talk of reopening in 2013.

Goulburn abattoir

Located 200km southwest of Sydney and north of Canberra. Has faced major shortage of animal supply issues in the past due to drought and decreased national sheep herd. Recently increased costs of water affected operations

Grafton abattoir

Gundagai abattoir

Gunnedah abattoir

Guyra abattoir

Was operating prior to 1960 as a government owned facility, closed to be reopened by the council as a service kill facility. Racking up substantial debts of $6M these were waived at sale in 1985 to be reopened then closed again in 1993. AMH purchased around this time and entered into a partnership with DR Johnston to operate. Involved in significant industrial disputes the plant was regarded as marginal it was closed permanently in 1996. Currently being considered for development of the site as a rabbit farm

Harden abattoir

Built in the 1970’s by council, Southern meats purchased and ran Harden with a US consortium. US sheepmeat import tariffs caused short operational closures but lack of supply of animals due to extended drought caused final closure in 2006.

Inverell abattoir

Located in northern NSW, a privately owned abattoir more commonly known as Bindaree Beef. Recently received $23M government grant for a biogas project. Negotiations in 2014 with union regarding EBA have stalled, workers have had a number of stop works in recent months over pay disagreements.

Lismore abattoir

Oberon abattoir

Located 200km east of Sydney, Privately owned facility that was shut for a period due to a business deal. Re-opened in 2014 targeting Asian market preferences in Sydney.

Guyra

Other Names

Current Operation

Location   

  • Guyra is located 35km North of Armidale in NSW. Armidale is approximately 460 km North of Sydney

Australia. Guyra

GuyraHema Maps – Australia Truckies atlas.

Owner

  • DR Johnston Group Pty Limitied1
    • Other articles say DA Johnston Pty Limited4
  • Australian Meat Holdings4

Operation   

History

1960

  • NSW government closed all government owned small slaughterhouse facilities that didn’t meet hygiene and inspections standards.3

1965

  • NSW Government built Guyra abattoir as a central facility for the areas meat processing needs3
    • Operated as New England Abattoir Council4
    • Finance was entirely from loan funds $1.83M3
    • abattoir didn’t trade in meat on its own behalf but service kill – cattle, sheep, pigs3

1971

  • Estimated cost of processing one head of cattle is equivalent to 8.3 sheep or lambs or 6.9 pigs.3

1977 – 1981

  • Meat and Live-stock Corporation estimate that between 1977-19813
    • Cattle capacity utlisation declined from 84% to 60% nationally3
    • Declined cattle capacity utilisation in NSW alone 92% to 58%3
    • Sheep capacity declined from 83% to 66% nationally3
    • Declined sheep capacity utilisation in NSW alone 86% to 77%3
    • Between 1977 – mid 1981 22 abattoirs ceased operations.3

1981

  • Following several months unprofitable operations the abattoir was ‘mothballed’3
    • mothballed is term used to keep maintenance and requirements on repairs on facility up to date but not actually processing any animals.
  • Ceased trading in February due to drought4
  • 150 people lost jobs caused Guyra unemployment to go from 0% to 13.3% by July4

1983

  • Guyra unemployment by March 27.4% – highest unemployment figure for a NSW country town4

1985

  • State government waived about $6M of the debt accumulated (Total debt was nearly $7M at the time of sale) – on condition that licence to slaughter was surrendered.3
  • Abattoir was sold to new owners for $0.8M3
  • Purchased by AMH, abattoir was export registered at the time (Pg 126)
  • Private ownership – abattoir reopened – again as a service facility3
  • March – Abattoir re-opened DA Johnston Pty Limited4

1988

  • Previous 3 years – plant had substantial investment of capital (Pg 126)
  • AMH approached their banker – Hong Kong Banking Corporation for a partner (Pg 126)
  • AMH entered into 50/50 partnership with DR Johnston to operate the abattoir (Pg 126)
    • DR Johnston were a trading house that ran grain, stockfeed, protein meals & fishmeal, aswel as 5 different meat trading businesses

1991

  • Note – Article cites that Guyra came to AMH in 1991 from ConAgra (Pg 130)

1993

  • abattoir closed for its annual Christmas close-down1

1994

  • workers meant to resume work in January but unavailability of stock led to period extension 1 week.1
  • February. 25th – further shortage of stock and a close-down for six weeks until re-opening 14th April 19941
    • Employees remained on the books but didn’t receive pay.1
    • Some workers seeked employment elsewhere while abattoir closed1
  • June. 9th 220 people stood down1
    • accepted that period of this closure – 17 weeks between June 94 and October 94 was a seasonal closure in respect of the meat industry arising out of a shortage of stock1
  • October. 10th. plant reopened but on a reduced scale slaughtering beef1
    • Half of dismissed employees offered re-employment1
      • 27 didn’t accept1
  • AMH frustrated by what it saw as unproductive and inefficent industrial practices, began a process to change the working arrangements in its plants (Pg 128)
    • Restricted production to minium tally and temporily closed some plants – Guyra was the 1st (Pg 128)
    • AMH said to have budgeted $30M to ‘break’ the unions, by 1996 the estimated cost was $70M (Pg 126)

1995

  • Guyra abattoir taken to Industrial relations commission of NSW by AMIEU1
    • dispute over severence pay and entitlements to people who didn’t take up employment when plant reopened. October 19941
  • House prices in Guyra dropped $15,000 day of abattoir closure, some brick homes were being sold for under $30,0009

1996

  • Guyra as considered a marginal operation, it was closed.(Pg 126)
    • Killed only 21,427 for the year. Never worked again after this (Pg 130)
  • Australian Meat holdings now owned Guyra4
    • AMH controlled by big US rural commodities trader – ConAgra, a major exporter from North America10
    • AMH accounts for 16.5% of Australia’s beef kill.10
    • currently owns another 8 facilities but will be consolidating to 5 and closing Beaudesert (QLD), Guyra and Portland (Vic)4
      • others owned Dinmore, Townsville, Rockhampton and Aberdeen10
          • Author note – not sure of 8th.
      • Intended that 300 jobs would be replaced at Dinmore when expansion completed there10
    • AMH intend to invest in larger more efficent plant – Aberdeen abattoir (NSW)
      • Aberdeen closed in 1999 – reasons cited as stock shortages5
        • AMH closed Aberdeen to send all cattle to Dinmore abattoir (QLD) – Even with added cost of cartage costs of processing were still $14 per head/cattle cheaper processed in QLD than NSW6
  • Guyra – Early in 1996 enterprise agreement was reached – first of its kind in Australia4
    • strenuously opposed by AMIEU and employees from other abattoirs4
    • Guyra employees entered agreement to protect jobs and allow abattoir to be viable4
  • AMH had fought intense battles with meat industry unions to introduce workplace agreements warning that AMH “..had long warned the Australian meat processing industry needed to significantly increase it’s international competitiveness”  Kieth Lawson AMH CEO.10
  • Up to half the states (NSW) 56 abattoirs could close with the loss of up to 5,000 jobs in country NSW due to industry rationalisation.2
    • outdated and inefficent abattoirs could follow Guyra2
    • Industry observers say beef export abattoirs – Wingham, Mudgee, Gunnedah and possibly Inverell are most at risk2
    • Administrators had been appointed at Blayney abattoir (NSW)2
      • Blayney closed 1998 – stock shortages cited but observers say economic factors7
    • Newer and efficent plants expected to survive – Young, Gundagai, Calcairn, Cootamundra and Harden2
    • Others that had recent capital investment should survive – Goulburn, Dubbo2
      • these had provided benchmark for state beef processing of efficency gains necessary2
      • Niche market suppliers would likely survive – Casino abattoir (QLD). Lismore2
    • Industries fundamental problem – lack of plant investment due to price wars2
    • USA had taken Australian market share Japan, Korea and Taiwan2
      • Cattle prices had slumped in the last six months (First half of 1996)
    • Live export was sending 500,000 cattle to Indonesia and Philippines2
    • Gunnedah abattoir was receiving stamp duty concessions that no other plants were getting.2

2001

  • Guyra abattoir site being developed for rabbit farming enterprise8

Sources

  1. DR Johnston Group Pty Ltd (Guyra abattoir) and W Archer & 219 Ors (1995) NSWIRComm 172 (31st August 1995)
  2. ‘5000 jobs at risk: abattoirs facing closure SMH 21.05.1996. www.abattoirs.com.au
  3. ‘Short run costs and throughput variability of a NSW abattoir’ Piggott, Small 1987
  4. ‘Guyra abattoir closure’ Mr Raymond Chappell 15.05.96 http://www.parliment.nsw.gov
  5. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20020314031
  6. ‘State rules shut abattoir’ The Land 06.07.00
  7. ‘600 sacked workers given just a weeks pay’ Sydney morning herald. 10.03.1998. http://www.abattoirs.com.au
  8. ‘Guyra man killed in forklift accident on abattoir site’ Northern daily. 07.06.2011.
  9. ‘Guyra’s comeback faces further hurdles’ Landline 12.10.2003
  10. ‘US Beef exporters force three abattoirs to close’ SMH 15.05.1996
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