Australian cattle export facility could launch before next year
The project, which is to be situated near Port Alma, south of Rockhampton, the state's beef capital, would enable local cattle producers to send live cattle to straight to Asia.
The move has caused some controversy as many local cattle farmers, are in favour while some other operators such as abattoirs have previously raised concern about the impact it might have on local jobs.
Kelly Briggs, who runs a small 730-acre cattle farm, with her husband Ted in Wowan near Rockhampton, welcomed the news.
'Competition'
She told Global Meat News: “As small beef producers we hope this facility will bring a little competition to the market and give us more options of where to send our beef cattle.”
While ABC Rural this week said livestock marketing agent Ken McCaffrey said it would be a big win for the region.
Talking to ABC Rural he said: "We have meat processors here, but most of the live export of cattle is out of ports such as Townsville and Darwin, which takes a lot of trucks on the road and costs the central Queensland producers.”
Government support
The federal government has already put its support behind a push for Port Alma, between Gladstone and Rockhampton, to be developed to allow the live shipments of cattle.
In May agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce said the beef industry needed more competition and live export brought into the market.
But Queensland agricultural minister and MP for Rockhampton Bill Byrne has opposed the move. He believes supporting the exports from Port Alma would damage the viability of the meat processing sector in Rockhampton.
