Tag Archives: Australian meat processing facilities

Camperdown

Australian Abattoirs, Camperdown, Victoria 09/11/2013 Comments: 2

Camperdown abattoir was located close to Sydney and closed in 1991 following violent industrial confrontations over pay and conditions.

Other Names

Current Operation

  • Closed 19911

Location   

  • 8km SE Sydney CBD

Camperdown

Hema Maps – Australia Truckies atlas.

Owner

  • Famicopr – Farouk Fami1

Operation

History

1991

  • May. Fired 130 workers2
  • Oct. Mounted police charged meatworkers picketing abattoir 26th October 19912
    • Body Hire firm – ‘Troubleshooters Available’ assis abattoir to find contract labour2
    • Camperdown 1st abattoir to be staffed by contract labour2
  • Violent protests between unions against police and contractors over pay conditions and pay.1
  • Mangement decided to employ contract workers, never reached an agreement with unions, abattoir closed.1
  • Bitter and violent industrial confrontation forced plant’s closure1
  • “ Troubles arise from attempts by some exporters to cut  meatworkers wages and conditions” Bill Malcolm – Senior lecturer in Agricultural economics at Melbourne University
  • Several closures in Victoria abattoirs as a result of shortage of livestock
  • QLD meat industry seen as having advantage over Vic-
    • QLD – increasingly lot fed animals receving higher export prices, ability to export quicker to Japan2
    • Vic – grass fed animals,
      • Extracting difference in profit margins from meatworkers2

2007

  • Poperty is carved into 6 lots and beng advertised for total price of $800,000 (dated 10.12.2007)1
    • old abattoir site nearly 10ha for sale for $230,0001
    • Is an abandoned site, in shocking repair, has asbestos1
    • Shire council asked management to clean up site1

Sources

  1. ‘Derelict abattoir for sale’ The Standard. 10.12.2007
  2. ‘Mounted Police attack abattoir pcikets’ Green left weekly. 30.10.1991

Blayney

Australian Abattoirs, Blayney, New South Wales 08/11/2013 Leave a comment

Other Names

  • ANZCO abattoir

Current Operation

  • closed 19982

Location   

Australia. Blayney

Blayney

Hema Maps – Australia Truckies atlas.

Owner

  • McPhee Meats2
  • 1996 – ANZCO1
  • Manager – Neville Newton, now managing Goulburn4

Other abattoirs in Australia

Go to this link to view Location of Australian Abattoirs

abattoirs_edited-1   

Operation  of Blayney #155

  • Sheep processing facility6

History

1900

  • Freezing works3

1957

  • abattoir opened, had been a freezing works prior. Latter tannery and pet food plant3

1976 – Not sure if this is correct because in 88 frieght company say they worked for Blayney’s last 43 years.

1963

  • February. At this time is an export facility operated by Blayney (Abattoir) County council6
    • Has chilling, freezing and freezing storage facilities6

1976

  • Tenders for contract to build beef facilities1 –
    • 2 story building, 1,800 sq m, able to process 100 head cattle per hour1
    • Electrical, Mechancial, Ventalation, Visera tables1
    • To commence construction November 19761

1987

  • Nov. Is registered at this time as an export facility
    • Operating under the name – Blayney Abattoir

1996

  • ANZCO bought insolvent abattoir from MPhee Meats – left unsecured creditors owed $6M2

1997

  • July. Is registered at this time as an export facility8
    • Operating under the name ANZCO foods Pty Ltd8

1998

  • April. Operations scaled back in recent weeks, Some 1,600 staff had previously been employed, now there was barely 1005
  • May. Closed – reason cited by ANZCO- stock shortage2
    • Industry sources say ANZCO left with large stocks or unsol meat as a result of Asian currency crisis2
    • NSW Meat Industry Authority (MIA)”there is definitely no shortage of stock or supply”2
    • “This year cattle killed in abattoirs have averaged 43,000 head a week an increase on average of 10,000 head over last the last year(dated 10.03.1998) Richard Tpnner, MIA2
    • AMIEU – suspect economic factors rather than stock shortages were behind closure2
    • sacked workers given one weeks notice – 580 people2
    • AMIEU accused ANZCO avoiding termination payments and redundancies – could be millions of dollars. – by citing seasonal factors allows ANZCO 8 month lee period before being deemed at closed for purpose of redundancy liability2
    • Blayney refus to indicate how long plant closed for.2
  • Refrigerated transport business who carried livestock and refrigerated meat for abattoir last 43 years also closed and selling 14 prime movers and trailers – abattoir was seasonal and not suited to transport company2
  • other recent closures Grafton, Gunnedah and Canberra2

2010

  • March. Aus meat listing of March 2010 doesn’t show Blayney #155 abattoir as a registered facility9.

2014

  • September. Proposal is put to council to build a new goat abattoir in the region20
    • Proposed $38M10
      • Facility would be attached to existing Blayney Sealink Cold store complex10
      • Plans have been submitted to council11
        • Expectations to commence building middle 201511

2016

  • June. Approval has not yet been received for development to go ahead11
    • Environmental concerns with 25 objections received11

 

Sources

  1. ‘New beef facilities – calling for tenders’ The Age 08.09.1976
  2. ‘600 sacked workers given just a weeks pay’ Sydney morning herald. 10.03.1998. http://www.abattoirs.com.au
  3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blayney,_New_South_Wales
  4. ‘Abattoir industry in a disastrous state’ ABC Rural 16.02.10
  5. Parliamentary Hansard. Speaker Mr RW Turner. 30.04.1998
  6. World on a plate – A history of meat processing in Australia. Stephen Martyn. 2014
  7. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-12/2438-million-goat-abattoir-proposal-for-blayney-sparks-efforts/5739222
  8. Aus Meat July 1997 Listing
  9. Aus Meat Mar 2010 Listing
  10. ‘Investing $38M at Blayney’ The Land 18/09/2014
  11. ‘Developers expect $38M Blayney …….’ Central Western Daily 07/06/2016

NSW Meat Industry Milestones

Australian Abattoirs, Factors affecting Operations, Milestones, New South Wales 08/11/2013 Leave a comment

General Quotes and Information

  • Neville Newton – 50 years working in abattoirs, managing Blayney, now Goulburn1.

“There are far too many processing abattoirs out there and not enough animals to slaughter”1

“Industry plight has been caused by record low numbers of livestock”1

“We’ve had a drought for a long period of time”1

“In fact, the only time I’ve ever seen it a bit like this was in the late 70’s and early 80’s with beef, there were large herd numbers and there was a very big cow and heifer kill and then all of a sudden they just ran out of numbers, At that time there were a lot of corrections in who owned bee processing plants in Australia”1

  • Central west NSW used to have 11 abattoirs, now it has 4. Cowra, Dubbo, Goulburn & Oberon. Currently 29 licensed red meat abattoirs in NSW, down 30% decade ago. (Dated 16.02.2010)1
  • Atleast 6 red meat abattoirs in Central NSW shut since 2003 (Dated 16.02.2010)1


Timeline Information

1987

  • Aus-Meat registered abattoirs in NSW – Not necessarily all abattoirs as it wasn’t mandatory to register with Aus-meat.
    • 16 – Export acrredited abattoirs2
    • 8 Domestic abattoirs2
    • 16 Boning facilities.2

1995

  • Federal and State governments agree on mandatory code for processing red meat in export and domestic abattoirs and meat processing plants.
  • Federal had been pushing for compulsory code of conduct for meat inspectors in all states.
    • Under existing arrangements a national code of conduct of inspection was in force but was applied voluntarily by the states
  • “Australia has the most rigorous hygiene standards in the world, but there was a pressing need to continually update the codes of conduct in the industry” Senator Collins.
  • Community and Public sector union alleged that cartons of meat with pesticide levels 12 times above allowable limit were sold on domestic markets. Also said it had details of meat subsitution rejected from export sold into domestic.
    • Union declined to substantiate allegations at special senate hearing in Canberra

1996

  • USDA reviewd Australian export abattoirs and found 14 of them unacceptable or marginally acceptable. Australian quarantine services conducted its own review and found all but 1 up to USDA standards5
    • Unacceptable abattoirs in NSW named6
      • NSW – Southern Country Foods – Wagga Wagga6
      • Rockdale Beef – Yanco6
    • Marginal abattoirs in NSW named6
      • Wingham abattoir – Wingham6
      • RG Gilbertson – Grafton6
      • Cargill Australia – Wagga Wagga6
  • “We have too many abattoirs to be economic, as a consequence corners get cut. We are the biggest exporter of beef to the world so it is vital we drive a massive rationalisation of the industry or we will be cut out” – John Carter, 10 years head of NSW Meat Industry Authority.6
  • AQIS did suspend 2 abattoirs after its own inspection found deficencies not picked up by USDA5
  • Australia’s beef export trade worth $1B5
  • Method of operation that is in question not the meat being produced is contaminated or off8
  • Europe blacklist in 6 meat exporters – citing animal welfare breaches and technical faults7
    • Europe $85M market7
    • Europe told AQIS – killing procedures in some inhumane, Stun guns were inadequate in 1 abattoir7
    • 6 of the 11 abattoirs inspected banned from exporting to Europe7
    • Australian Meat Council – animal welfare standards depended on which side of scientific  debate one listened to7
      • “what is a breach and isn’t is widely disputed both on rational and irrational grounds” Christopher Creal. Aust Meat Council.7
      • “Europe had enormous problems with trade in unsafe meat. There is a blackmarket trade in meat grown in some pretty nasty hormonal promotants, and vets have been murdered for trying to clean up chemical regulation”Christopher Creal. Aust Meat Council.7
  • “Far too many abattoirs operate with low-level expertise and management, They must be upgraded or they should be closed”. John Carter. Former head of NSW meat Industry Authority9

1998

  • Waterfront Industrial dispute – 1,800 process workers stood down.4
    • boycott of NFF and supermarkets and against the unloading of Australian products4
    • Abattoirs were unable to obtain empty containers for shipping requirements4

2013

  • Aus-Meat Accredited
    • 16 Export accredited abattoirs3
    • 0 Domestic abattoirs3
    • 10 Boning facilities3

Sources

  1. ‘Abattoir industry in disastrous state’ ABC Rural 16.02.10
  2. ‘Aus Meat Accreditation Listing November 1987 – private email, Ausmeat. 16.01.13
  3. ‘Aus-Meat accreditation Listing – current at 14.01.2013
  4. ‘1,800 Meat workers stood down’ Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). 20.04.1998. http://www.abattoirs.com.au
  5. ‘Threat to beef export trade’ SMH 08.02.1996.www.abattoirs.com.au
  6. ‘US names abattoirs producing bad beef’ SMH 24.01.1996.www.abattoirs.com.au
  7. ‘Europe blacklists six abattoirs’ SMH 23.01.1996. http://www.abattoirs.com.au
  8. ‘Meat Exporters have bone to pick with us’ SMH 19.01.1996. http://www.abattoirs.com.au
  9. ‘US threat puts $1B beef trade at risk’ SMH 18.01.1996. http://www.abattoirs.com.au

Bowen

Australian Abattoirs, Bowen, Northern QLD, Queensland 05/11/2013 Leave a comment

Other Names

  • Bowen Freezing works
  • Merinda abattoir

Current Operation

  • Closed 19972
    • Other articles cite closure as 1996.4

Location   

  • Merinda – 6 miles from Bowen          

Australia. Bowen

Map BowenHema Maps – Australia Truckies atlas.

Owner

  • Bergl (Australia) Ltd3
  • Thomas Borthwick & Son – owned 5-6 abattoirs in Australia (1933)3
  • AMH (1986)2
  • Nippon Meats (Japanese) purchased 1989.4
  • Nippon Meat Packers6
    • Subsidiary of a Japanese Multinational
    • Nippon meat packers incorporated 19786

  • products_edited-1Source Nippon Meat Packers Australia interactive beef products

    This is a great diagram that is able to be clicked on in the Nippon website and illustrates where the various cuts of beef and offal are located in the animals bodies

  •  Nippon currently own 3 operating abattoirs in Australia ( as at 2016)

Operation          

  • Purchased stock from Western QLD & NT

History of Bowen Meatworks

1890’s

  • Recognition that the export trade of meat needs to be developed for the economic benefit of Australian producers (Pg 1041).9
    • Existing low values are due to fact that half to one third of surplus meat is exported.9
    • Should be exporting 250,000 to 300,000 carcases of beef.9
    • £1M pounds is required to construct meatworks.9
    • If not constructed £10M pounds could be added to existing capital of the banks and still their securities would be unprofitable(Pg 1042).9
  • Parliament develope “The Meat and Dairy Produce Encouragement Act”(Pg 1042).9
    • Levy imposed on both cattle and sheep.9
    • 2 funds .9
      1. Dairying herds
      2. Beef herds
    • Fund allows for establishment of meatworks at.9
      • Pinkenba
      • Bowen
      • Redbank
      • Cardwell
      • Broadsound
      • Gladstone
      • Brisbane
      • Charleville
      • Mackay
      • Biboohra (Mareeba)
      • Burketown and
      • Sellheim

1894

  • Operation was started by local cattlemen.11
    • Cattle were selling for as low as 30/ per head.11
    • Only in operation for one year.11
  • Bergl purchased
    • Had connections with Houlden Bros – Boats known as Grange Line.11
  • Works employed 200-400 men.11
  • Killed an average of 15,000 cattle per annum.11
    • the best year being 30,000 head.11

1905

  • Bergl Australia acquire the small plant, at this time known as Merinda.9
    • Prior to this had been by Bowen Meat Export and Agency Co.10

1919

  • In operation

1932

  • November. Bowen works is purchased by Borthwick’s with the intention of commencement of export operations in 1933.11
  • Borthwicks had been operating Burdekin meatworks previous 2-3 years.11
    • have not continued with the lease.11
  • Prior to Borthwicks purchase the Bowen meatworks had been idle for sometime.11
    • Bergl had installed modern machinery in the previous year.11
    • Bergl did not intend to carry on in QLD.11
  • Borthwicks had obtained prominent army contracts.11
    • In 1923 securing bulk of the war office yearly contract of 6,000 tonnes for home command.11

1933

  • Borthwick & Son purchased. Rebuilt and made extensions.3

Thomas Borthwick_edited-1Source – QLD National State Library. #137304
Thomas Borthwick & Sons Freezing works. Undated

1941

  • Oil stove used to heat bitumen to seal cork insulation in the storage section caught fire3
  • Was 800t of meat in the store at the time.3
  • 300 employees killing 376 cattle a day for export

Bown - fire_edited-1Source QLD National Library. #137256
Thomas Borthwick & Sons Freezing works

1958

  • Slaughter processing peak 58,500 head.10

1960’s  

  • Closed overnight – Lord Borthwick unable to meet demands of unions and strikes1

1963

  • Is currently registered as a meat export works (Pg 314).5
    • Proprietor – Thos. Borthwick & Sons (A/Asia) Ltd

1980’s

  • The Australian beef trading/processing environment is worsening(Pg 119).5
    • QLD Cattle herd in 1975 was 14M head.5
      • QLD Cattle herd in 1987 is 9M.5
    • There is low utilisation rates through meatworks and the need to reduce the number the meatworks is seen to improve efficency and reduce operational costs (Pg 120).5

1983

  • Federal Industries Assistance Commission produce a report that reveals the Australian meat processing industry has 38% excess capacity (Pg 126).7

1986 

  • April. Joint Venture Proposal is begun to amalgamate.7
    • FJ Walkers (Owned by Elders IXL)
      • Already own 10 abattoirs, including 4 key export works and meat packing plants in Australia (Pg 119).5
    • Metro Meat Industries
    • Smorgon Consolidated Industries
    • Tancred Bros
    • Thomas Borthwick & Sons
      • Borthwicks to add their plants of Mackay (QLD) and Bowen.7
  • Wide spread concern of potential domination of the QLD beef market by the merger entity (Pg 127).7
  • May. Trade Practices Commission (TPC) holds a investigation.7
  • June. TPC announce will not place legal impediment to the merger.7
  • July. Borthwicks  withdraw from talks(pg 120).5
    • Borthwicks had operation problems of it’s own and wanted to sell all Australian assets including hides and skin processing not just jewels of Bowen and Mackay.5
    • Portland (Vic) would be particularly difficult to sell due to union unrest.5

1987

  • Is listed in Aus-Meat Accreditation List as Establisment #723.8
    • Borthwick. T & Sons Ltd.

1988 

  • January. Teys Brothers are in discussion with Borthwick to purchase Borthwick Australian assets and a Japanese branch of the company (Pg 121).5
  • Teys had been in a joint venture with Canada Packers (Pg 121).5
    • Canada Packers withdrew from the joint venture which influenced Teys to seek financial backing from Kerry Packer in bidding for the Borthwick assets
    • Purchase price $25M Australian
  • AMH saw the ‘new entrant’, Teys as a threat to AMH’s ability to remain profitable and achieve further rationalisation in the northern region (Pg 122).5
  • AMH commented that Borthwick operations were the main price competition in QLD (Pg 122).5
    • If Borthwicks not in the market AMH would earn $10 a head more per animal.5
  • AMH offered Borthwicks $29M for Australian Assets (Pg 122)
  • TPC advised AMH not to proceed without their consultation as they would likely contravene Sec 50 Trade Practices Act and likely dominate the QLD cattle market (Pg 123).5
  • TPC placed an injunction for AMH to withdraw offer (Pg 123).5
    • AMH resisted arguing the the order would likely allow Teys to purchase without actual determination of contravention of section 50.5
    • AMH  offered undertaking that Borthwicks business’s would be maintained and conducted independently and in competition with the business of AMH.5
    • TPC accepted but possible divestiture order was of significant commercial risk to AMH.5
      • TPC announced an inquiry was to be held.5
    • Borthwicks sale to AMH was accepted 26/01/1988
  • Borthwick Hides and skins business were immediately sold.5
  • All remaining parts of Borthwicks were combined with AMH
  • February. TPC begins inquiry.5
    • TPC accepts that northern QLD is a seperate market to central and southern QLD.5
    • AMH control 5 of the 10 abattoirs in the region.5
  • Bowen abattoir could lift total regional slaughter capacity to over 76.76%.5
  • TPC ruled AMH had contravened section 50.5
    • Ruling was AMH must divest itself of Bowen & Mackay
      • Could retain control of Portland (pg 128).7
    • 3 months to do so
    • appeals and cross appeals conducted.
  • Trade Practices Commission forced sale due to AMH having dominant market share.2
  • March. TPC final judgement ruling on AMH case (Pg 123).5
    • Case is held as precedent on what constitutes the geographical limits of a product market
  • While the court case was in process AMH had been operating the plants(Pg 123).5
    • Profits from them had been above market expectations.5
    • Bowen was of marginal importance
    • Mackay was significant because of the access to lucrative Japanes market (Pg 128).7
  • AMH offered QLD plants to Anglo Irish $32M (Pg 124).5
    • initially Anglo Irish accepted but revalued plants at considerably less and withdrew from the deal
  • TPC increased pressure on AMH to sell plants (pg 124).5
    • If AMH didn’t sell them TPC would put plants up for public auction at market price
  • Nippon Meat Packers, in consortium with Mackay Sugar to purchase the Bowen and Mackay plants (Pg 123,86).5
    • reported $32M

1996

  • Closed as part of Industry rationalisation.4

1997  

  • Closed.2

1998

  • March. Petition – Abattoirs,  presented to Parliament – 1,248 signatures. requesting4
    1. Revoke export licence for the Nippon Meat abattoirs at Mackay and Merinda: and4
    2. initiate a review of foreign investment guidelines in Australia to ensure that multi-national companies investing in Australia are bound by a code of conduct which protects the interests of all stakeholders, and not just overseas stakeholders.4

Sources

  1. Facebook KBS 16.01.13
  2. ‘Northern Australian Beef Industry – Assessment of opportunities and risks’ ABARE 2012
  3. ‘Fire Damages Bowen meat works’ Courier Mail 05.07.41
  4. House of Representatives Petition. Abattoirs. 09.03.1998.
  5. ‘World on a plate – A history of meat processing in Australia’ Stephen Martyn
  6. ‘Meat Processing in Australia’ IBIS World. June 2010
  7. ‘Employers & Industrial Relations in the Australian Meat Processing Industry’ J OLeary 2008
  8. ‘Aus-Meat Accreditation list November 1987
  9. QLD beef industry 1962. pdf
  10. ‘Triumph in the Tropics’ http://www.oesr.qld.gov.au 1959
  11. ‘Purchased by Borthwicks’ www.trove.nla.au 28.11.1932

Cloncurry #1

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

Current Operation

  • Operating (2012)1

Location             

  Australia. Cloncurry                

Owner                 

  •  

Operation          

  • Small local processor1

History                

 

Sources

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

Camooweal

Australian Abattoirs, Camooweal, Central QLD, Queensland 19/07/2013 Leave a comment

Current Operation

  • Operating (2012)

Location             

  • NT/SA border, 190 km NW of Mt Isa

Australia. Camooweal

Owner                 

  •  

Operation          

  • Small local processor who supplies own butchers shop1

History                

 

Sources

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

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

Australia. Katherine

Map. Katherine. jpg

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

Katherine. Bovril.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 3rd 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

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

Surat

Australian Abattoirs, Queensland, Southern QLD, Surat 27/06/2013 Leave a comment

Updated. 27th June 2013

Other Names

  • Warro Games Meat1

Current Operation

  • Is operating as at June 2013.1
  • Operates as a Kangaroo processing site.1

Location

map SuratSource – Hema Maps. Australia Truckies Atlas

Owner

  • L. Micklebourgh & B Micklebourgh.1

Operation

  • Processes 1500 kangaroos a week for human domestic consumption and pet food markets2
  • Employs 22 full time2
  • supplies fillets on weekly basis to wholesaler who distributes to Adelaide, Melbourne & Sydney2
  • Produce manufactig meat – 12 t per week – mainly goes to pet stores.2
  • Each carcase for human consumption is worth $37 to processor2
  • Kangaroo processors pay levy to Dept of Agriculture – Fisheries and Forestry3
    • 7c per carcase for human consumption3
    • 3c/kg for pet meat3
    • Levy money is distributed to national residue survey and R & D3
      • Human consumption carcases processed collected $210,000 (2010 – 2013)3 = 3M carcases
      • Pet food processed collected $30,000(2010-2013)3 = 1M kg processed
      • R & D – one project in current study – $240,000 “welfare and humaneness of commercially harvested kangaroos”, conslude August 20133
  • Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia (KIAA)3

History

Prior

  • Had been other kangaroo works in QLD but many have closed down2

1980’s

  • Had started in skins trade and had begun a pet food supply business.2

2004 – 2008

  • height of pet food business was processing 40t of meat a week.2
  • Operation to which the pet food was going centralised and changed demand of meat to cause orders to dwindle2
  • requirements came in that even pet food processing plants had to be accredited to process meat to human consumption standards2
  • Surat works was purchased, renovated.2

2009

  • QLD Floods caused business to be completely surrounded by water and shutdown for 3 months2
  • Russian markets closed down that roo meat was exported too.2
  • Domestic market became flooded with roo meat product.2

2010

  • Floods cut off access around site for 3 months2

2011

  • Floods cut off access around site for 3 months2

2013

  • Predicted increase in electricity prices could ultimately shut down the business1
    • Electricity has more than doubled in past 3 years.1
    • currently $22,000 per quarter1
    • Doesn’t include chiller 6 boxes that cost $1,000 each a quarter to operate1
  • Floods and debt load has had devasting effect on operation of business.2
  • Second largest employer in town behind Council.2

Sources

  1. ‘Power price rise crippling’ QLD Country life 06.06.13
  2. ‘Surat processor hops ahead’ QLD Country life 06.06.13
  3. ‘Market working on big issues’ QLD Countrylife 06.06.13

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

  1. ‘KI abattoir Interest grows’ The Land. 02.05.13
  2. ‘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.

Australia. Cowaramup

Map. Cowaramup

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

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