AUSTRALIA-NEW ABATTOIR.
PRESSURE is mounting on the State and Federal Governments to assist with the building of a seasonal abattoir in the state’s north.
Industry momentum is growing for another outlet for processing cattle to be constructed with Derby appearing to be the preferred town to host the works.
Milne Agrigroup managing director Graham Laitt put forward the idea at a recent forum in Kununurra, which was attended by agriculture minister Terry Redman.
It was not a new idea for Mr Laitt, who has been working on the concept for some time.
Liveringa Pastoral Co is a shareholder of Milne Agrigroup and includes Liveringa Station, a Brangus cow/calf producing station situated on the Fitzroy River.
Mr Laitt said there were quite a few stations in the Kimberley that still had Shorthorn-type cattle which were not suitable for live export.
"It is difficult to get rid of stock up here that are not considered to be live export quality," Mr Laitt said.
The next option for pastoralists in the north is to truck cattle to the south to either be slaughtered at the closest abattoir, Gingin, or sold at the Midland saleyards.
Liveringa sends cattle to the south and Mr Laitt was also responsible for the reopening of the Israeli export market to WA cattle.
Currently, there is no abattoir situated between Queensland and Gingin.
Mr Laitt said Derby made sense not only for its location, but also because it had such a high unemployment rate.
In response to Mr Laitt’s suggestion at the Kununurra forum, Mr Redman said he was working with the Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke on the prospect of building an abattoir between Queensland and the north of WA.
