australian abattoir history | Australian Abattoirs

Cloncurry #2 (Proposed)

Australian Abattoirs, Central QLD, Cloncurry #2 (Proposed), Cloncurry #2 (Proposed), Queensland 27/07/2013 Leave a comment

Current Operation

Proposal investigated 2012

Location

120 km East of Mt Isa

Source – Hema Australia Handy map 9th edition.

Owner

Operation

History

2012

October.DAFF release Feasibility study and investment report for Cloncurry proposal²
Study conducted and handed to North Beef consultants Oct 2012¹
Nth West QLD – report – commercial viability
- Proposal to process 400 head a day = 100,000 head a year³
- Infrastructure would cost $49M, doesn’t include land, services required by governement.³
- Match of investment by government expect $10 – $28M³
- Operating costs at Cloncurry would be higher due to input and output freight costs³
- Throughput of livestock would be detrimental in to mainly Townsville abattoir³
- Model suggest $41 head supply chain cost saving due to freight, processor would retain 40-60% to cover freight costs.³

Nth West QLD – report – opportunities
- Would be expect to draw 170,000 head a year of slaughter ready cattle⁴
  - NW QLD 96,000 head⁴
  - NT 14,000 head⁴
  - locals/culls 5,000 head⁴
  - Expected starting estimate of 115,000 head to be able to process.⁴

Expected Hot standard carcase weight (HSCW) is the weight of carcase after slaughter⁴
- Bulls all weights. Make up market supply of 10-15%⁴
- Trade cows 180kg – 350kg. Make up market supply of 20-30%⁴
- Young steers/Heifers 235-350kg Make up market supply of 30-45%⁴
- Grass fed/grain fed Steers/bullocks 265-350kg Make up market supply of 10-20%⁴
- Jo Bloomfield. Note at yield of 50% these HSCW mean liveweights of cows to be minimum 360kg, Young steers 470kg and heavy steers 530kg.

Payroll estimates 220 employees, would require non traditional shift structure, and use of 457 visas and would compete with mining and resource sectors⁴

marginal return expected on investment⁴

Sources

‘Northern plants jockey for processing position’ Stock Journal 25.10.12
‘Minister favours Cloncurry abattoir’ QLD Country Life 11.10.12
Evaluating commercial viability of an northern outback QLD meat processing facility (2012)
Nth West QLD abattoirs, opportunities (2012)

Cloncurry #1

Australian Abattoirs, Central QLD, Cloncurry #1, Queensland 19/07/2013 Leave a comment

Current Operation

Operating (2012)¹

Location

Owner

Operation

Small local processor¹

History

Sources

‘Northern Australian beef Industry – Assessment of risks and opportunities’ ABARE. 2012.

Berrimah

Australian Abattoirs, Berrimah, Northern Territory, Top End 02/07/2013 Leave a comment

Authors Note – May be confusion in Darwin timelines as a packing plant was built and a number of abattoirs.Some articles contradict in dates therefore timeline may be inaccurate.

Other names

Angliss abattoir
Berrimah Abattoir
Central abattoirs⁵
Darwin abattoir (Pg 189)
10 mile abattoir (Pg 190)

Current Operation

reopened 1960’s³
Closed 1970’s for a period
Was operating in to the 1980’s⁹
site is closed and has been redeveloped now, 2013

Location

Ten Mile abattoirs reserve⁵
Is an Angliss Road, Berrimah, off the Stuart Highway, south of Robbie Robbins reserve.

Owner

North Australian Meat Company¹
Sir William Charles²
Vesty’s (1934)

Operation

Export and Domestic accredited¹¹

History

Sir William Charles (1865-1957)– Migrated from England, Engaged in butcher trade in Kent when young. Migrated to Roackhampton (QLD) 1884. Moved to Melbourne and opened two butcher stores in 1886.He began to export meat. Over the next 30 years became a dominant figure in Australian meat export trade. Sent meat to WA goldfields, latter to forces in South Africa and Britain. Built his own freezer works in Footscray 1905. Exported to NZ, opened offices in London and Liverpool. Brought meatworks in Forbes 1914 and Riverstone, Sydney 1920, Brisbane 1924 and with a rival (F.J. Walker) in Rockhampton 1927. Leased and bought cattle stations in 3 eastern states with Sir Kidney Kidman. Purchased QLD properties owned by the government in 1929. QLD properties could support 80,000hd. 1930’s claims William Charles owned the largest personally controlled meat enterprise in the British Empire. 1933 Vestey’s acquired his Vic and the whole Angliss meat business except the QLD properties.

1934

Vestey’s purchased Angliss meat business for £1.5M²
Improvements in refrigeration now made it possible to send chilled rather than frozen product⁶

1942

Government requested in early days of war that Bovril (VRD) supply 400 head to Darwin per month at £5 each. Few stockmen left due to labour shortage and Bovril had difficulty filling this order⁷

1959

Improved to meet stringent USDA (USA Dept of agriculture) hygiene regulations⁴
Combined with Katherine – capacity of 60,000hd per year, first time NT had export killing capacity³

1961

William Angliss and Co began building Central Abattoirs at Ten Mile abattoir reserve. This was to serve as a central killing works for Darwin with the aim of adding an export annex⁵

1960’s

Angliss began to trial Buffalo, product shipped to Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and some into the domestic market.(Pg 44)¹³
At this time feral buffalo could be shot in the field and the meat used for export as long as the carcase was at an abattoir within an hour(Pg 44)¹³

1964

Prior to this abattoir (1963) and Katherine abattoir (1964) being built stock were walked along stockroutes to railheads in Alice Springs or across to Wyndham abattoir, QLD. Murranji stockroute last stock use was 1967 as cattle now went to Katherine and Darwin⁸
During this period road transport began to dominate and stock routes less used⁸
Vesteys opened⁴
Paid 6 shillings and half pence a pound, Hong Kong export market couldn’t afford to match paying 5 shillings and half pence a pound⁴

1965

Robert Bright would capture wild baby pigs feed up and sell to Berrimah (then called Angliss abattoir) (Pg 241)¹²

1968

Laurie Howard supplied Buffalo’s from Dorisvale station (then managed by Leo Whitely) (Pg 189)¹²
Manager at abattoir – George Welch, took over from Peter White (Pg 190)¹²

1970’s

Buffalo were now required to be to delivered live to an abattoir for slaughter.(Pg 44)¹³

1980

Berrimah abattoir not in operation (Pg 245)¹²

1970

Couldn’t meet USDA standards – lost export licence, so did Broome,Derby, Wyndham and Katherine³

1991

Berrimah closes.¹⁰

Sources

‘100 years of Northern Beef production’ Nth QLD Register 22.11.12
Angliss, Sir Willam Charles – Australian Dictionary of Bigraphy.
‘Sailing ahead’ Annabelle Coppin 2009
‘The Australian Livestock export trade’ Nigel Austin 2011
‘Wild Cattle, Wild Country’ Ann Marie Ingham 2007.
‘The Rise and fall of the house of Vestey’ Phillip Knight 1993.
‘The Big Run – The story of VRD station’ Jock Makin 1970.
‘The Murranji track – Ghost road of the drovers’ Darrell Lewis. 2007
Personal communication of person who supplied abattoir. 04.11.13.
‘New abattoir for $500,000’ Top Paddock newsletter #1 Sept 1993
NT DPI Annual records dated 2000.
‘The Privileged Few’ Jeff Hill. 2008
‘World on a plate – A history of meat processing in Australia’ Stephen Martyn 2013

Katherine #1

Australian Abattoirs, Northern Territory, Top End, Uncategorized 02/07/2013 Leave a comment

Other Names

Bovril meatworks

Current Operation

Never completed to start operations.

Location

300km S of Darwin, Victoria Hwy Katherine 3km

Owner

Bovril Australian Estate (English) owned VRD at the time(1947)

History

An abattoir was begun to be built and due to lack of government backing was stopped and demolished before even finished

Source – Northern Territory Library

Katherine #1 Abattoir – Bovril works, Photo dated 1951. construction was never completed

Is now the site of BOC gas, Bovril Street. Cement posts are still evident but roof is now a flat roof.

1947

Bovril moved equipment and some infrastructure from Manbulloo site¹
Bovril leased 2,260 acres, land close to racecourse area and began erecting ‘Bovril meat extraction plant’²
Meatworks never used. Rumour was Vestey’s were going to take over or Bovril Estates³

1949

Project abandoned – Cost £300,000⁴

1951

Extraction plant construction stopped and started several times finally abandoned 3^rd January 1951²
“To this day, the enormous concrete shell still stands, only now it houses a multitude of trades, including a panel beating shop, a mechanic and a furniture factory. Also standing a short distance up the road, are the staff quarters and engineer’s house which were erected by Bovril and which are now part of a caravan park”²

1952

Victorian company Preston Meatworks & William Say & co. Considered purchase of Bovril equipment to build a plant between Elliott & Darwin, small scale to start them to eventually process 30,000 hd a year⁴. This never happened!

Source

‘Pastoral Australia: Fortunes, Failures & Hard Yakka: A historical view.” M. Pearson, J Lennon. 2010
‘Katherine abattoir finally put down’ ABC rural 15.09.11
‘Meat Monopolies’ Northern Standard 07.03.47
‘Meatworks project for N. Territory’ The Canberra times. 21.11.52

Kangaroo Island (SA)

Australian Abattoirs, Kangaroo Island, South Australia 25/06/2013 Leave a comment

Other Names

KI Abattoir

Current Operation

Closed – 1998¹

Location

Owner

Samex Australian Meat Company, Managing Director – Rob Black. Purchased early 2013¹

Operation

Previously had operated seasonally for 5-6 months of the year²
Would require a combined throughput of 5000 sheep and lambs each week over a 9-10 month period to sustain the operation¹

History

2013

Samex Australian Meat Company purchased¹
May. discussion with producerson ability to commit to supply, producers were able to do 100,000 lambs but thought 200,000 was unrealistic¹
Samex not looking for investors but commitment from growers to support²
Current production was required to be changed from over a 4-5 month period to 9-10 month¹

Sources

‘KI abattoir Interest grows’ The Land. 02.05.13
‘Crunch time for Kangaroo Island abattoir’ The Islander 09.04.13.

Cowaramup

Australian Abattoirs, Cowaramup, Peel Region, Western Australia 23/06/2013 Leave a comment

Current Operation

Closed November 2009²

Location

11km north of Margaret River.

Owner

Western Meat Processors, Director – F.E Lee³
- General Manager, J Mc Quillan²

Operation

Processed Cattle¹
Employs 45²
Workers numbers 57²

History

2005

Western Meat Processors begun operations at Cowaramup²

2009

March. Expansion worth $750,000, would provide increased slaughter throughput in late 2009.²
November 16th. Closed due to plant where carcases were processed destroyed by fire and not other plants available to process meat.²
O’Conner Meat factory⁴.
- Owned by Western Meat Packers, located in McNeece Place, O’Conner, established 27 years.
- Owner of O’Conner, Rod Russell also owned lamb processing plant in Osbourne park
- Employed 300 people.
- Fire was caused by an electrical fault in an exhaust system, caused $10M damage
- were processing 2000 head of cattle a week
Staff undertook maintenance work until December, when facility was shut down entirely, future work in January would continue maintenance.²

2011

Licence issued 3rd February 2011to operate the works prescribed under the Environmental Protection Act. Issued for an extended period of 3 years⁵
- Licence #L8036/1993/5. File SWB2063.
- Category 15:Abattoir
- Category 55: Livestock saleyard or holding pen

Sources

WAMIA Meat Processors 2013
‘Cowaramup abattir to remain closed’ Farm Weekly 10.12.09
http://www.mantra.com
‘Fire causes $10M damage to O’Conner meat factory’ Perth Now. 16.11.09.
Environmental Protection Licence. Government of WA – Dept of Environment and conservation
‘Abattoir capacity in WA’. Letter by Terry Redman. Minister for Agriculture and Food. 18.03.09

Waroona

Australian Abattoirs, Peel Region, Waroona, Western Australia 23/06/2013 Leave a comment

Waroona abattoir is located in south west of Western Australia. Prior to closure in 1998 it had been export accredited and processed sheep, goats and pigs. In 2014 Gina Rhinehart purchased 50% share of the facility with current owners Milne Agrigroup.

Other Names

Clover Meats⁸

Current Operation

Closed. Most recently – 2009³

Location

Owner

Clover Meats
Milne Agrigroup⁵
Timepath Holdings⁷
South West Meat Processors (SWMP), D. Delaney³
Liveringa Station Beef. (2014) – Joint venture between Gina Rhinehart and Milne Agrigroup⁸

Operation

Still operational as at June 2005¹
Cattle and Pig²
Process sheep, goats & Pigs, registered as a domestic abattoir⁴
Prior to closure was handling 12% of WA cattle²
Was accredited export, once closed only left EG Green & sons as export accredited at 1998 (Harvey #648)²
Markets in Asia and US suffered downturns factor in closure²

History

Prior 2008

could have applied for government grants to introduce technology to reduce kill costs, “would have kept the jobs of many of their workers, one area where abattoir owners have fallen down or have not considered the opportunities which would have been created by the lower costs those technologies would have bought about”²
“Once it began slaughtering pigs it denied itself exports to certain sheep markets because Muslim countries don’t accept sheep meats killed in a pig abattoir”²

1998

Prior to closure was one of WA’s biggest export abattoirs⁷
closed for a period²

2007

Abattoir had been dormant for some time but current owneres (Milne Agrigroup) in discussions with several groups⁵
- To sell entirely or
- work in partnership to operate the plant, Milne Group won’t be operating plant on their own.

2008

June. Reopened⁶
To be only operated as service kill⁷
- Aim to process 1000 sheep, 200 pigs per day initially, with possibiity to process cattle latter.
- offering a 12 month contract up front, guarantees kill space
- Most other abattoirs are processing their own product with only small service kill
Operated in conjunction with Delaney Meats also owned by D. Delaney⁶
Killing sheep and pigs, with capacity for 500 cattle a day

2009

Closed 13.02.09. Economic downturn cited as reason³
South West Meat Processors called in liquidators cited⁶
- lack of support from industry.
- Delaney meats also closed but not subject to liquidation

“It was a lack of stock and the world market has not helped, Service kill contracts had backed off 50% and the value of skins had plummeted due to the slowdown in the global economy, the price of skins fell from $7.50 to $3 overnight” Daniel Delaney (60% share of SWMP)⁶

40 people lose jobs³
42 redundancies⁶

2014

Gina Rhinehart – Australian mining magnate enters into a joint investment to purchase 2 Kimberley cattle stations and the Waroona abattoir⁸
- 50% stakeholding with Milne Agrigroup – Graham Laitt⁸
- 50% share cost $40M⁹
  - Total transaction to establish LSB estimated at $65M¹⁰
- Entity is named Liveringa Station Beef (LSB)⁸
  - Gina Rinehart Company – Hancock Prospecting⁹
  - Milne Agrigroup parent company – Dowford Investments⁹
- Reasons for purchase cited – Confidence in Australian food exports to Asia⁸
- Graham Laitt (Milne Agrigroup) is quoted as saying “LSB is moving away from live exports towards boxed beef”¹⁰
- Liveringa Station^{8 and}Nerrima Station purchased in transaction⁸
  - 2 properties cover 470,000 hectares and span the Fitzroy River.¹⁰

Sources

Parliament Hansard. P. Omodei 17.08.05
Parliament Hansard. K.Chance/M. Montgomery 13.10.98
‘Abattoir closure leaves 40 people jobless’ ABC News. 23.02.09
WA Meat Industry Authority – as at November 2002.
‘From Famine to feast in WA slaughterings’ The Land 09.03.07
‘Australia – Another meat plant closes’ Farming UK. 14.02.09
‘New Lease of life for Waroona abattoir’ Farm Weekly. 18.06.08.
‘Rhinehart buys into beef business’ Nth QLD Register. 02.07.2014
‘Gina Rinehart buys Kimberley cattle stations’ Beef Central 03.07.2014
http:/’Rinehart’s Hancocl Prospecting buys in to cattle stations’ AFR 03.07.2014

Karnet

Australian Abattoirs, Karnet, Peel Region, Western Australia 22/06/2013 Leave a comment

Current Operation

Operating as a special purpose abattoir

Location

30 km E of Mandurah

Source – Hema Maps. Australia Truckies Atlas

Owner

Karnet Prison farm – is a minimum security prison²

Operation

Cattle & sheep processed in abattoir¹
Training site for prisoners to gain experience and knowledge in agricultural production for employment prospects.²
Karnet works in conjunction with Pardelup prison farm (Mt Barker), have herd of cattle and sheep, produce is sold on the open market and steers brought to process in the abattoir with cull animals off the farms in the abattoir and boning plant.³
Farms produce milk, eggs, vegetables and fruit for other prisons in WA, estimated to save $2M a year in the produce being able to be supplied.³
Equipment, sheds and hydroponic systems built from equipment seized in drug raids.³

History

1963

Prison farm established²

Sources

WAMIA Meat processors 2013
http://www.correctiveservices.wa.gov.au/prisons/prison-locations/karnet.aspx
‘Inside job’ Landline. 19.02.12. http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2012/s3434298.htm

Harvey

Australian Abattoirs, Harvey, Peel Region, Western Australia 21/06/2013 Leave a comment

Other Names

Harvey Beef

Current Operation

Operating as at 2013. Establishment #648

Location

Harvey WA. 160km S of Perth
rolling foothills of the Darling Range, 3km from Township of Harvey.

Owner

Joint venture – Harvey Beef Industries. General Manager Dean Goode⁷
Harvey Indsutries group purchased for $27M 2006⁸
- Harvey Industries group is owned by International private equity firm – Harmony Capital management¹⁰
Others in Group with Harvey Beef Industries
Elders – 20% stake – sold to Harmony Investment Fund (Harmony Capital) $0.7M, June 2009⁸
Stark Investments sold to Harmony Investment Fund, June 2009⁸

Operation

Site is 190ha¹⁰
180 ac kill 100 000 animals¹
175 000² (3,500hd a week)– assume when upgrades done about 2004/2005
Processes 145,000⁹
Largest processor in WA⁹
Harvey also operate Harvey Industries Processing Centre (HIPC) – a boning facility in Fremantle¹⁰
Cattle only⁵
export accredited, does operate in domestic, main focus is export²
Domestic – process 11% of states supply for WA⁴
Processed 80-90% of beef export (prior to Waroona closing)⁶
Medium sized²
700 workers²
Processes large steers, area of Capel, for export, only ab to be able to process the large animals³
$150M turnover⁴
Export to 30 countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, USA, Canada,Japan, Korea,Taiwan, Middle East^{4 & 10}
70% of Harvey beef product is exported¹⁰
Could process 210 000⁴
Food safety processes in place
- Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) – process used for identification, evaluation & control.¹
- Onsite microbiological labratory accredited by the government National testing authority¹⁰
- Underpinned by comprehensive standard operating procedures¹⁰
- AQIS oversees meat hygiene, safety regulations and certification¹⁰
- NLIS – use for identification and tracking of animals.¹⁰
Harvey Beef is accredited by globally recognised standards¹⁰.
- USDA Approval
- JAS Accreditation
- MSA/EQA – gaurantees eating quality
- Halal Religious and cultural criteria
- Ausmeat A+ accreditation
- Exceeds ISO standards under AQS

History

1919

Cited as the start of the establishment of WA largest beef producer at the site¹⁰

1924

Built by Ernest and Mary Green¹

1939

Transported meat wholesale to metropolitan areas¹

1945

Company EG Greens and Sons Pty Ltd established.¹
Started to acquire pastoral land – Balmoral Station & farms, Raised stock, shorthorns, Herefords, fat lambs, pastoral leases in NW, covered 1M hectares¹

1959

Granted export licence, continued to buy land, horse breeding and pastoral activities¹.
Abattoirs improved and modernised, brine curing plants to handle skins and export of leather¹.

2002

Utilisation rate 60% – Industry average 70%⁵

2004

Utilisation rate 90% – Industry average 85%with 70-80% export⁵

2005

Mentioned in review

“it is critical that this firm remains profitable and efficient to ensure the industry can continue to grow”²

Recently made additions to plant on slaughter floor and boning rooms²
Shut – Causes of downturn, drought, influx of cheap meat imports, LE and changing markets¹
National Australia Bank/AWB landmark/Elders placed under recieivership²
Harvey had 90% of export market
Loss of Harvey result in direct cash loss of $8.5M in the town alone, multiplier $1.10 for every dollar lost, $2.10 equates to $17.5M/yr²
Corporate decisions cited as main problem causing closure^{2 & 4}
Attempted to rationalise assets – sale of stations, Abattoir had 2 very bad trading months²
Some creditors owed $1M, producers $250 000, are others owed⁴

2006

Purchase $27M – Harvey Industries Group⁸

2009

March. WA largest abattoir – bargaining with unions “cost parity it needs to be competitive”
Workers rejected a 3 year workplace agreement for the 2^nd time, 1^st rejected month earlier. 160 workers since made redundant⁷
115 voted against/99 in favour, would have led to a pay cut of 20% for 1/3 of workforce for 3 years⁷
Alternative may be short term agreement, wage cuts lasting 2 years some entitlement provisions⁷
April. 160 workers redundant, remaining workers accepted pay cut⁸
June. Harmony Capital buy all of Stark Investments and Elders shares in Harvey Beef⁸
Values company at $3.5M, 3 years previously paid $27M⁸???????? $3.5 sounds too low.
Harvey Beef website (accessed 22.06.13) updated 17.08.09.
- Processing 145,000 grass and grain fed animals a year.¹⁰
- Employs 300 people¹⁰

2013

Harvey Beef Website (accessed 22.06.13) undated Fact sheet.
- Employees 650.¹⁰
- Processing capacity 4,500 per week¹⁰
- By products Hides, Meat and bone meal, blood meal and tallow¹⁰

2014

Andrew Forrest Minderoo group purchase for more than $30M¹¹
Craig Mostyn Group – WA biggest pork processor had attempted to buy the facility¹¹

Sources

Harvey History Online. Undated
Parliament Hansard 17.08.05.P Omodei.
Parliament Hansard 17.08.05 S. Thomas
Parliament Hansard 17.08.05. M Trenorden
WAMIA . Meat Processors (2013)
Parliament Hansard K. Chance 13.10.98
‘Harvey Beef workers vote against workplace agreement but new proposal offers hope’ AFN 27.03.09
‘Private equity firm snares Harvey Beef’ AFN 16.06.09
‘Northern Australian beef industry – Assessment of risks and opportunities’ ABARE 2012
http://www.harveybeef.com.au/index.php/home
‘Craig Mostyn sell-off aims to boost growth’ Stock & Land 07.08.2014

Biloela

Australian Abattoirs, Biloela, Southern QLD 20/06/2013 Leave a comment

Current Operation

Currently Operating – currently accredited # 399 AUS-MEAT 14.01.13¹
Employment contacts www.teysaust.com.au/employment

Location

Source – Hema maps. Australia Truckies atlas

Owner

Teys Bros http://www.teysaust.com.au
Abattoirs owned by Teys in Queensland
Abattoirs owned by Teys in NSW

Source Logo http://www.teysaust.com.au

Operation

Export, Beef and Offal
Teys also own North Rockhampton – 2009 calendar year Teys produced 15% less volume than in 2005 and 2006, with “a lot of days off” (Brad Teys)²

History

1956

Facility was built¹³

1999

Owned at 1999 by Teys³
Has a reported capacity 137,000 head per 50 weeks operation cycle³

2005

Biloela moves to hire refugees
- Booming mining sector meant unemployment rates in the region 1.9%
- Plant was unable to fulfil production demands due to unfilled job positions
  - Plant was only operating at 80% capacity
  - Foreign labour meant it could operate at 100%

2006

Teys utilise migrant workers at Biloela and Rockhampton – Lakes Creek abattoir (QLD).⁴
- Workers are employed on 457 visas (Pg 17)⁴
- Hired through a labour hire company AWX Pty Ltd⁴
  - Teys don’t directly employ the workers⁴
  - Workers were hired as casuals and paid a flat rate that was $2 /hr less than permanent Teys Bros employees⁴
- Created a two-tiered workforce⁴
  - discriminatory against foreign workers⁴
  - reduced the labour costs.⁴
  - moved to a new agreement in 2013⁴

2009

October. Teys announce a reduction of days working at Biloela⁵
- blaming global financial crisis⁵ and
- State government’s policy favouring of live export⁵
December. 40 foreign workers are cut⁵
- Afternoon boning shift component of workforce⁵
- Some are Korean, holders of working holiday visas⁵
- Existing 350 workers – Australian and long stay visa holders will remain⁵
  - Most long stay visa holders were Vietnamese⁵
Teys consider job cuts at the Rockhampton – Lakes Creek (QLD)
Plant closes for seasonal break 11/12/2009⁵
- will resume in the New Year⁵
- operating a 5 day single shift⁵
  - Processing 554 head⁵
  - single boning shift⁵
Gloomy outlook is reason for shift being closed⁵
- Forecasts of dramatic reduction in available cattle in 2010⁵
  - similar to the last quarter of 2009⁵
  - Conditions expected to persist to 2011⁵
- Poor seasons⁵
- Floods⁵
- Large number of stock being live exported from QLD⁵
  - tilted playing field favours live export⁵
- High Australian dollar⁵
- Weak demand in export markets⁵

2010

Kill to drop from 750hd day to 550hd

2011

July. Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) don’t oppose Teys Bros & Cargill Beef Australia Merger⁷
- View that the proposed merger would be unlikely to substantially lesson competition in any of the markets examined⁷
  - ‘fat’ cattle ready for slaughter⁷
  - acquisition of ‘feeder’ cattle destined for feedlots⁷
  - supply of processed beef to retailers and wholesalers⁷
Foreign labour in Australian beef processing⁸
- Most people employed in meatworks and related industries are Australian citizens⁸
  - Depending on categories factored there are 35,000 – 50,000 employees in meat processing and handling businesses.⁸
  - Is a change of cultures, many have strong ethnic origins⁸
  - 457 Visa holders 5-10% of all food processing and manufacturing employees in Australia⁸
- In 2010/11 there were 4,730 QLD 457 Visa’s granted⁸
  - 130 were skilled meatworkers (1.5%)⁸
  - Nationwide total 457 Visas issued to the entire Agriculture, forestry & fishing category is only 2.5%⁸
- There is a labour shortage at all levels⁸
  - Competition from the mining sector⁸
  - labour force tends to be transient⁸
    - meat industry may source more foreign labour than other industries⁸
- Other heavy users of 457 Visa’s⁸
  - Health Industry
  - Many hospitals unable to function without nursing support of imported labour⁸
Cattle supply is very tight²³
- Producer’s aren’t selling cattle due to poor prices²³
- Company (Teys) forced to reduce kill days²³
  - for week beginning 18/07/2011 don’t even have one days kill organised as at 14/07/2011²³
- CEO Teys Brad Teys, says been 30 years since he’s seen the supply of cattle so tight²³

2012

Pacific Island Workers Scheme is working well⁹
- Seasonal worker program is a scheme for the Agriculture and accomodation industries to employ people from overseas for short periods. Seasonal Worker program
“..the Biloela meatworks have always said that there would be no foreign workers in the meatworks while there was an Australian without work” MP Ken O’Dowd⁹

2013

Migrant workers that had previously worked under Work Choices now moved to a Meat Industry Award Agreement 2010. (Pg 17)⁴
- Now received penalty rates for overtime, public holidays & shift allowances⁴
July. Beenleigh abattoir (QLD) wage dispute will not effect job security at other sites operated by Teys¹⁰
- Beenleigh plant had much higer operation costs than Biloela or Rockhampton abattoir (QLD)¹⁰
  - Beenleigh only delivering 1% profit in the past four years¹⁰
If the meat processing industry is to avoid the path of the car manufacturing industry it needed to change¹⁰
- “What we did in the 1970’s we can’t do now” Tom Maguire Teys’s general manager of corporate affairs¹⁰

2014

Free Trade agreement with China is being negotiated.¹¹
- Possibility of 1M head of cattle a year to be exported to China¹¹
- AMIEU QLD Industrial officer Lee Norris says the deal would lead to thousands of lost jobs.¹¹
- Central QLD university professor or regional economic development John Rolfe – hugh economic boost to cattle producers and would lead to a more robust industry¹¹
- QLD Premier Campbell Newman supports China deal – it was critically important for agricultural industries¹¹
- “They’ve been doing it tough in the west and northwest for quite some time now with the drought, and at least this gives people hope that when conditions return to normal that they actually have some real opportunities in the future” – Campbell Newman¹¹

2015

February. Tropical cylcone Marcia swept over the QLD coast on 20/02/2015¹²
- Category 5, 300km/hr winds came across the Capricorn coast¹³
Significant structural damage has occured to¹²
- JBS Rockhampton (Beef city)¹²
- Teys Australia Rockhampton (Lakes Creek) abattoir (QLD)¹²
- Biloela plant has not suffered damage but will lose time due to power supply problems¹²
- 3 plants together account for 2,500 head a day slaughter capacity¹²
Biloela plant
- Localised flooding¹²
  - Plant itself was not flooded¹³
- Currently employs 400 people¹³
- Currently processing 700 cattle a day¹³
- did conduct half a days kill on day of the cyclone¹²
  - cyclone caused loss of only a single slaughter shift¹³
- No Kill conducted following Monday 23/02/2015¹²
  - boning shift is being conducted on 23/02/2015¹²
- Cattle at Lakes creek abattoir are either transported back to properties or origin (at Teys expense) or being sent to Biloela and Beenleigh abattoir (QLD) for processing¹²
Teys suffered cyclone damage to its Innisfail abattoir (QLD) in 2011. It was mothballed at the time but never reopened.¹²
Category C Emergency relief needs to be announced by Federal Government as soon as possible¹³
- enables grants of $25,000 to eligible businesses and farms¹³
March. Cyclone damage to the two larger meat processors in Rockhampton will see JBS Rockhampton closed for at least a month and Teys Australia Rockhampton (Lakes Creek) QLD closed for atleast another week¹⁴
Seasonal stock work was complicating the matter with normal turnoff¹⁴
- Producers having to send stock to other plants will incure greater freight costs¹⁴
- Earliest stock were able to be slaughtered at Biloela was in April.¹⁴
Damage to the meat processing facilities renews debate of introduction of live export in the region¹⁴
- Authors note – I think this in reference to using Port Alma (Rockhampton) to export live animals¹⁴
- “We need diversity in any business and live export is part of that” Cattle Council of Australia president Howard Smith¹⁴
Teys Australia submission in regards to Australian workplace relations system¹⁵
- Authors note – some links may not function as blogs are not yet published.
- Biloela employs 450¹⁵
- Rockhampton (Lakes Creek) (QLD) employs 900¹⁵
- Beenleigh (QLD) employs 790¹⁵
- Wagga Wagga (NSW) Employs 850¹⁵
- Naracoorte (SA) Employs 420¹⁵
- Tamworth (NSW) employs 380¹⁵
September. Biloela plant is recognised at National level at Australian Migration and Settlement Awards – winning Business Inclusion award¹⁶
- Foreign labour represents 70% of the plants 470 strong workforce¹⁶
- Enabled operating capacity 100% since 2005¹⁶
- Biloela plant rates in the top 10% of the national industry¹⁶
  - due to newly skilled workforce¹⁶
  - Had to attract people to the town with a strategy as there weren’t many unemployed¹⁶
- “The fact they could get a job and they were self-sufficent and they were contributing was the big reward” Duncan Downie – General manager of operations at Biloela¹⁶
November.Plant shuts down for two days in week due to lack of cattle¹⁷
- Did not operate 02/11/2015 & 09/11/2015¹⁷
- Gone through an extended dry period¹⁷
  - Producers are holding onto cattle¹⁷
  - Cattle herd deminishing for 4-5 years due to drought¹⁷
  - When it does rain, shortage of cattle supply¹⁷
    - Don’t have the numbers to process at the facility¹⁷
- Aim to operate 2 shifts 5 days a week, killing 710 head a day¹⁷
  - cut back operations due to shortage of cattle¹⁷
  - When graziers rebuild (if it rains) processing numbers will at normal targets¹⁷
  - Live export competition was having an impact but was not the major contributing factor¹⁷
  - “I don’t know what impact the live export trade will have. It is a long way to bring the ships down to Port Alma and the cattle they get in this areaare different to the cattle they get up north” D Downie.¹⁷
- Plant normally sources cattle within 350km of the facility¹⁷
  - recently has had to purchase from Victoria, Longreach, Charters Towers and further north.¹⁷
Investment to occur at Biloela plant $10M over the next 6 months¹⁷
- Work will begin in annual shutdown period¹⁷
  - Annual preventative maintenance program¹⁷
  - $2.7M upgrade boning room¹⁷
  - Installation of new vacuum pack machine and conveyor system¹⁷
  - In January plans to install new coal-fired boiler¹⁷
- Seasonal closure is planned to begin 10/12/2015¹⁷
Plant will conduct last kill 26/11/2015¹⁸
- final boning shift will happen 27/11/2015¹⁸
- Staff told 11/11/2015¹⁸
- Extended 7 week summer-season for the plant¹⁸
  - Normal schedule is 4 weeks¹⁸
    - Staff usually take 4 weeks of annual leave¹⁹
    - extra 3 weeks will be leave without pay¹⁹
  - Original target was to close 10/12/2015, reopen 08/01/2016¹⁸
- Cattle supply circumstances have dramatically changed¹⁸
  - shortage of cattle¹⁸
    - sustained records of slaughter across Eastern Australia¹⁸
      - Destocking from Western Areas¹⁹
      - high prices for cattle¹⁹
    - record live exports of cattle¹⁸
    - National herd level was on a 35 year high, to a 20 year low over the last 2 years.¹⁸
- “This is a once-in-a-generation decline, but unfortunately we can expect herd numbers to stay significantly low for at least the next two years as cattle producers rebuild their stock” Tom Maguire²²
  - Rockhampton (Lakes Ck) (QLD) and Beenleigh (QLD) along with Biloela operating on a 3 day roster¹⁸
- Biloela is a specialist grassfed plant, processing 700 head a day on single shift, employing 440 staff¹⁸
- Intend to re-open 18/01/2016¹⁸
- Previous year (2014) had killed close to christmas¹⁸

Biloela meat processing complex. Source ABC Rural 12.11.2015

Early and extended shut down of the abattoirs due to lack of supply of cattle is affecting local butchers²¹
- 2014 300g steak $7-$8 retail²¹
- Now $9.60²¹
  - pricing is affecting the consumers ability and desire to pay for the product²¹
Early closure of Biloela would affect every little butcher across QLD²¹
- Main problem is the drought²¹
- Problem will continue when processors come back on line due to wholesalers buying aswel²¹
Agforce president Leo Neill Ballantine²¹
- cattle shortage was a problem that wasn’t going to go away²¹
- regardless of rain, will always be problesm with existing conditions²¹
  - vacuums are created in the market if producers can’t get assurances from processors²¹
  - producers need to be brought more into the supply chain²¹
    - enables cattle to be ready ahead of time²¹

Sources – #399 Biloela – Teys Australia (QLD)

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