Funding to develop King Island abattoir business case

The Hodgman Liberal Government is working to achieve our vision of a ten-fold increase the farm-gate value of Tasmania’s produce to $10 billion a year by 2050 to create many more jobs around the State.

King Island is an important contributor to our primary industries and to our world-renowned brand.

The Liberal Government is providing a grant of $50,000 to the King Island Council to support the development of a business plan for a proposed multispecies abattoir on the island.

The loss in 2012 of the island’s major abattoir was a blow to farmers, and the local community has been looking at alternatives ever since.

This grant will allow the King Island community to fully explore a potential opportunity to process cattle, sheep and wallaby for local and interstate markets.

A multispecies abattoir might play a valuable role in the supply chain for island producers.

Development of the business plan will be managed by the council, which will work with a steering committee including representatives from the local community, AgriGrowth Tasmania and the Department of State Growth.

A process to appoint consultants will commence soon with the final plan expected to be completed by June 2016.
Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Primary Industries and Water