Loddon Herald 29 July 2021

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Loddon HERALD Vol 1 No 27 THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021 ISSN 2653-1569

PET FOOD PROCESSING PLANT PERMIT LODGED, NEW JOBS EXPECTED

ABATTOIR BID LEAPS TO LIFE UP TO 10 new jobs could be created within months if plans for a pet meat processing plant at Inglewood are approved.

IT COULD BE LOCAL: Kangaroo meat for pets is becoming increasingly popular with owners, including those who shop at Inglewood IGA where Jalen Hoskin and Shelley Hargreaves were stocking the pet food shelves this week. LH PHOTO

Campaspe Meat Company wants to process 1000 kangaroos a week at the Tarnagulla road abattoirs, unused for six years. Director Loc Rivett said processing capacity could increase to 2000 roos - creating a further 10 jobs - with an increased presence in the Victorian and South Australian roo harvest supply markets. Mr Rivett said if all permits and approvals were received from Loddon Shire Council, Environment Protection Authority and PrimeSafe, processing would start in Inglewood within six weeks. “We just have a little more maintenance to do at the Inglewood site we purchased two years ago,” he said. “Inglewood has a good set up for processing kangaroos - there are two big chillers - and the hanging requirements for lambs and kangaroo is similar. So we can make the change from what it was used for to what we are seeking permission to do.” The Inglewood processing plant, if approved, would be the company’s fifth site in Victoria, adding to Hamilton, Camper-

down, Seymour and Stanhope. It also has a plant in Hay. Mr Rivett said: “We are looking to source locally, across Victoria and also New South Wales and South Australia.” He said South Australia had a harvest quota of one million kangaroos but was only at 10 per cent of quota. “We have had a lot of interest from shooters but until this stage, we haven’t had to room to process more animals,” he said. Mr Rivett said the company supplied pet meat across Australia and also operated five retail stores in the Western District, Melbourne and Seymour. “We could also be looking at a retail presence in the Bendigo region,” he said. “And that’s more jobs again.” Mark and Donna Starr closed Loddon Valley Abattoirs in 2015, ending a local industry started in 1971 and at its peak employing 40 people. When closed, the abattoir employed eight people and supplied Loddon butchers. Mr Rivett said kangaroos would not be slaughtered at the proposed pet meat processing plant “And we hope we can recruit local people with the skills they once used in the abattoirs on sheep and cattle,” he said. The planning permit application has been advertised by council.


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Loddon Herald 29 July 2021 by Loddon - Issuu