Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak and show my strong support for a proposal to build a state-of-the-art small-stock abattoir in the Bourke district in my electorate. This would be of great interest to people in your electorate as well, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott. Bourke has been chosen as the site for the development due to its location as a hub for the goat industry in New South Wales. Bourke Shire Council has been working closely with Capra Developments Pty Ltd for the past few months to assist with facilitating and expediting this project.

Capra Developments has extensive experience in the meat and associated industries and has expressed a very strong desire to have the facility up and running as soon as possible. Capra Developments has indicated that the project investment is approximately $60 million, and it will deliver a best-practice meat processing facility to the Bourke region, focused on marketing goat, sheep and lamb products to a range of well-established export markets and customers. It is anticipated that the abattoir will have a capacity of over 4,000 head of small stock per day, and it is expected to make substantial economic gains for the community and primary producers across the Bourke region. There should be a significant number of employment opportunities—estimated at 200 full-time equivalent positions—as well as a number of other indirect employment opportunities.

These employment opportunities are greatly needed in the Bourke district. They will assist with overcoming the social disadvantage that has resulted from minimal employment opportunities due to severe drought and population decline. This has adversely impacted on the community over the past few decades, particularly with water reform and the citrus and horticultural industries closing down in Bourke having led to substantial levels of permanent unemployment. The Bourke Aboriginal working party has also expressed major support for the abattoir proposal, as it would not only boost the economy of the region but also provide significant employment opportunities for those within the community who are currently receiving unemployment benefits. Many of these people are, unfortunately, of Aboriginal descent.

Capra Developments Pty Ltd have secured suitable land for the construction of the abattoir about 16 kilometres north of Bourke and are working with Bourke Shire Council in relation to the infrastructure requirements to enable the project to proceed as expeditiously as possible. Bourke Shire Council has submitted an application for funding under round 2 of the National Stronger Regions Fund to assist in the construction of the infrastructure. I strongly support this proposal, and it ties in with a lot of other work that the federal government is doing in that area through Work for the Dole programs and Green Army programs, which I have visited in that area and which are employing young unemployed people in the Bourke and Brewarrina districts.

It also ties in with the Clontarf Foundation, who are encouraging young Aboriginal boys to stay at school, complete their schooling and gain a level of education that would enable them to undertake meaningful employment. An extra 200 jobs in the Bourke area—permanent, meaningful jobs—would be also very much appreciated.

It also ties in with the large number of feral goats that are currently in western New South Wales and, indeed, in southern Queensland. This would provide value-adding for this resource which is largely being shipped off to Victoria for processing, and it meets the high demand that we see for goat meat, particularly from markets in the Middle East and growing markets in Australia. This is a very worthwhile project and it has my complete and full support.