New boutique abattoir beefing up job opportunities in central Queensland

A family-owned pastoral company will establish its own on-farm boutique abattoir, creating in excess of 80 new jobs thanks to support from the Palaszczuk Government’s $175 million Jobs and Regional Growth Fund.

Minister for State Development and Manufacturing Cameron Dick said Signature OnFarm, part of the Angus Pastoral Company, will build a $27.9 million abattoir on its Sondella station, 125 kilometres north-west of Moranbah.

“The state-of-the-art, small-scale facility will be export-accredited and will be capable of servicing up to 200 head of cattle a day when fully operational, allowing the company to meet its own high-quality, specialised processing requirements," Mr Dick said.

“Due to the property’s relatively remote location, the on-farm abattoir project will also include the construction of a workers village to cater for up to 70 employees, including abattoir workers and other support staff."

The Angus Pastoral Company is a privately-owned, fourth-generation cattle breeding operation that dates back to 1960.

Starting with a single farm, the company has grown into a significant supplier of beef, running 35,000 cattle across four properties on 400,000 acres of prime cattle country in central Queensland.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the company’s success epitomises the hardworking spirit that defines Queenslanders.

“The expansion is a great example of the innovative job-creating projects that the Palaszczuk Government’s Jobs and Regional Growth Fund is designed to assist," Mr Furner said.

“We are committed to ensuring the benefits from Queensland’s continued economic growth are felt in regional and rural communities right across the state, not just in the big centres."

Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert said the announcement is another boost for jobs in the region.

“The Palaszczuk Government is focused on creating jobs in regional Queensland and supporting local businesses to grow and expand,” Mrs Gilbert said.

“It’s fantastic to see an innovative enterprise like Angus Pastoral Company expand in this way.”

In addition to supplying the domestic market, the Angus Pastoral Company has been growing international demand for its premium beef products under its Signature brands for the past 13 years, and this understanding of export markets will assist the company’s expansion plans.

Angus Pastoral Company co-owner and Manager Blair Angus said the on-farm facility will eliminate the need for live cattle to be transported interstate for specialist processing services some 1250 kilometres away.

“At Signature Beef we pride ourselves on our quality, and having the abattoir just 500 metres from the feedlot will improve animal welfare resulting in a superior finished product,” Mr Angus said.

Together with the installation of cutting-edge equipment, Signature OnFarm will use specialised processing techniques in the facility that will not only enhance the product’s traceability and provenance but will create a more engaged and higher skilled workforce.

Construction is expected to take approximately 13 months.

Learn more about the Palaszczuk Government’s Jobs and Regional Growth Fund.

ENDS

Media contact: Lesley Major 0419 288 284