The proposal lodged with the NSW Department of Planning last week would see 300,000 cattle and 436,000 sheep processed each year at a facility to be built at Hollydene 8km west of Denman.
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In addition a 25,000 head feedlot would be built on an existing nearby vineyard Yarraman Estate by the proponents FJT Australia.
It comes on top of the decision by Merrriwa based Alexander Downs to purchase Kurri Meats and begin upgrade of that meat works.
The Hunter is already home two existing domestic and export licenced abattoirs EC Throsby Pty Ltd located at Whittingham near Singleton which processes 170,000 cattle/annum and JBS Swift’s Primo facility at Scone.
Should the FJT Australia project get the go ahead the region could certainly lay claim to being a serious red meat player. Move over coal and make way for meat processing.
And we shouldn’t forget Wingham Meat Exporters just up the road in the Manning Valley.
Producers could say they are now split for choice. It almost harks back to the days when the Throsby family operated abattoirs at Maitland, Gosford and Wyong and there was the AMH works at Aberdeen.
The proposed abattoir and feedlot once fully operational would provide 500 full-time jobs which is good news for the Upper Hunter feeling the chill winds from the mining downturn.
Interestingly the proposal near Denman is adjacent to Glencore’s Mangoola open cut coal mine and in the draft supporting documents for the project it states being close to the mine is an advantage as the majority of the residences have been purchased by Glencore leaving few people living close to the feedlot or abattoir.
Glencore is unlikely to object to having a feedlot or abattoir as a neighbour as the company, through its Colinta Holdings, owns substantial beef operation in Australia that runs 44,000 head of cattle.
Because the project involves an investment of more than $30 million it is deemed a major project ( State Significant Development) under the state’s planning regulations.
Muswellbrook Shire Mayor Martin Rush said the proposal ticked all the boxes offering the region diversity, employment and export opportunities.
The proposal is within the Muswellbrook LGA and Cr Rush said the creation of 500 fulltime jobs would be a substantial economic boost for the shire and would have an enormous flow on effect for housing and housing construction in Denman, for local sheep and cattle producers and retailers.
In the supporting documents it states the site was chosen due to its proximity to livestock and grain sources, national transport facilities rail, road and ports, and it was needed due to unprecedented export demand for Australian red meat products.
The abattoir facility would include a rendering plant and would seek accreditation as an export facility in particular accreditation to sell product to China as well as product on the domestic market.
