AN abattoir for Bairnsdale took a step closer to reality after a community meeting on Monday.
Local authorities, food processors and livestock producers supported a business model being developed.
On offer were two options – a hot boning facility or a full-fledged abattoir meeting the demands of high-end grazing.
East Gippsland Shire (EGS) Mayor Peter Neal several times suggested local graziers needed to fund building the facility, through a farmer-funded cooperative venture.
A feasibility study into building an abattoir found that last year, 294,287 cattle were sold out of eastern Gippsland, while 78,190 were bought into the district and 31,972 were killed locally.
East Gippsland farmers produce 236,000 head cattle, 10 per cent of Victoria’s total production and nearly one per cent of gross national production; at a value of $138million.
At a processing cost of $300/beast, this means $88million is spent outside the shire in other meat facilities.
“I find people want to know the story of the meat they are buying – they want to know where it was born and grew up, what it ate, how it was slaughtered and that makes them comfortable with eating it,” beef grazier and member of the East Gippsland Food Cluster (EGFC), Peter Treasure said.
EGS Manager Major Projects and Economic Development Tim Ellis said the group needed to attract a mix of private, public and government investment.
“There will be local investors interested but it’s worth looking at other options in the market too.”
“We would need to review our rural planning so when someone proposes a green fields site for this facility we can help it go ahead,” said Fiona Weigall, EGS Manager Strategic Planning.
“So our focus is on doing that review now so we don’t hold up the process later on.”
The local water authority was also in favour of the proposal.
“It would have significant cost to provide water and process waste water … we’re certainly keen to support a facility like this,” said Frank McShane, Executive Manager Operations, East Gippsland Water.
The suggestion of hot boning was discussed strongly, not least because food manufacturers, Patties Foods and Dennison Foods, both located in Bairnsdale, use trim and ground beef in their many products.
Hot boning processes cull cattle into ground beef.
Hot boning would also mean lower building costs, as chilling facilities and storage are significantly less.
A facility incorporating the latest animal welfare standards to process cattle and sheep was more popular among the attendees.
Dennison Foods spokesman, Jeremy Dennison, supported a high-end abattoir.
“Grass-fed beef raised and slaughtered in eastern Gippsland has potential as a premium brand for the domestic and Asian markets,” he said.
“Farmers can expand beef production and finish stock locally.
“It comes down to a really sound business case being developed.
“We already have customers we could target to use this product – both premium and trim meat.”
Agriculture and Regional Development Minister, Jaala Pulford, supports the concept.
She said it was an ideal project for the Victorian government’s new $500 million Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund.
“We would be interested in exploring opportunities to expand meat processing in Gippsland,” she said.
