Murray Goulburn (MG) has quashed suggestions it intended selling its Leitchville plant.
A spokesman said the future of the plant was discussed at a Cohuna suppliers meeting, last month, but there was no suggestion it would be sold.
A local consortium, Primary Partners, approached MG to buy the plant, to develop it as a pork manufacturing and cheese processing factory, employing 80 people.
‘MG acknowledges that preliminary discussions did occur with the consortium concerning a proposed meat packaging plant, however these discussions did not proceed,” the spokesman said.
‘Leitchville remains a strategic asset for MG and we do not intend to sell the plant and equipment which are still in excellent order,” the spokesman said
“This includes a high quality cheese production line which has the potential to be reused in the future, if required.”
Primary Partners spokesman Andrew Gibbs, who is standing for Gannawarra shire council at the upcoming elections, said the bid for the plant was now indefinitely on hold.
“Murray Goulburn have elected to allow the 80 jobs to be denied for the future,” Mr Gibbs said.
“The proposal planned to have the site working for a dual purpose, including a small goods and pork manufacturing facility, as well as operating the cheese plant, under exclusive agreement for Murray Goulburn.”
"I have facilitated many deals to date, but none where a multi-national was presented with a chance to work with another company, allowing the community to be the winner of up to 80 jobs, that gave the multinational no sovereign risk and yet was rejected based on an almost implausible suggestion that it is a vital asset," Mr Gibbs said.
“This could be just acceptable, if it wasn't tested when they had the chance to partner with a non-dairy business at no cost to themselves and financial reward obvious.”
