Strathalbyn Abattoir

Project Summary

After the closures of Kangaroo Island, Normanville and now Strathalbyn abattoirs, the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island are without an abattoir of scale. Consequently, the region’s producers are lacking suitable options for their operations. The increased distance to abattoirs is impacting logistics,  costs of production, animal welfare, and carcass quality. It also impacts the ability for producers to develop and grow paddock-to-plate business models.

Recognising all these facts, RDA has sponsored the development of a business case and investor offering to facilitate the re-opening of the abattoir at Strathalbyn.

If you’re a producer and/or potential investor, connect to the Fleurieu Community Co-op for more information about being a part of this important regional initiative.

Updates

JUNE 2022

A meeting for the Fleurieu Community Co-operative was held at the Strathalbyn Football Club on Tuesday, 28th of June 2022. Announcements made included:

• Manager, Grant List, has started
• Member and stakeholder manager, Michelle Lally, has been recruited
• Works at the abattoir are well underway, including upgrades of the yards and stripping of key areas of the facility ready for upgrades
• Aiming to reopen in August at 30% capacity and ramp quickly from there
• Outgoing chairman, David Parsons, thanked RDA for its initiative to ensure the abattoir remained in the region and also the funding of the business case, without which, the reopening would never of happened.

The founding board was replaced with a new board, including:

Grant Baker
Managing Director of consultancy firm PKF Accelerate, which specialises in commercialisation and digital transformation.

Grant is currently one of the ‘first directors’ of the Fleurieu Community Co-operative.

Franklin dos Santos
Current Chief Executive Officer of Foodland Supermarkets.

Franklin has more than 20 years’ experience in retail, holding senior positions in companies including Foodland and IGA Supermarkets, Metcash, and Goodman Fielder.

Warren McLean
Warren’s entire career has been spent in the meat and associated industries: he spent 23 years in meat processing with Metro Meat, and then 15 years with Master Butchers Co-operative Ltd, including the last 6+ years as their CEO.

Trevor Paech
A beef producer from Hindmarsh Valley; Trevor has experience in beef cattle farming, processing and butchery.

He and wife Janelle run the Gum Park Beef brand which is available through farmers’ markets in Willunga and Parafield.

Ben Ryan
Ben has more than 35 years’ experience as a sheep and cattle grazier, mostly at Deep Creek, and was one of the early adopters of the Regenerative Ag movement.

He has served as Chair of the State Lamb Committee, Chair of the Sheep Industry Development Board, and Chair of the SA Lamb Development Team.

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