TENTERFIELD is reeling after the closure of one of the area’s biggest employers.
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It’s been confirmed Wallangarra Meatworks will close on Friday, leaving more than 80 employees out of work.
The future of the sheep- and goat-processing plant has been uncertain for some months, with the meatworks in a stand-down phase since April, after a temporary closure and job losses in 2015.
At one point last year, the facility, owned by Thomas Foods International, employed about 260 workers, many of whom lived in Wallangarra and Tenterfield.
Darren Thomas, Thomas Foods International’s chief executive officer, advised employees the meatworks would “cease operations for the near to medium future”.
“The closure follows on from an extended stand-down due to livestock shortages and difficult global trading conditions,” he said.
Mr Thomas said all employees would be paid their respective entitlements and a number of staff had already transferred to the company’s Tamworth operation, with others still considering a transfer.
“Thomas Foods International is very hopeful of retaining skilled employees who wish to relocate to other operations within our group, and we would offer what support and training we can in helping in this transition,” he said.
Harry Bolton, senior economic development officer for Tenterfield Shire Council, said it would have a big impact on the area and the local economy.
He said the abattoir had been a large and stable employer for the area since commencing operations in the early 1990s, and the potential loss from the district of so many workers, and their families, would be felt.
“Unfortunately, in that industry and with that skill set, there just isn’t a lot of employment in town to gravitate to, and that means people will have to leave,” Mr Bolton said.
“Many would have actually moved here in the first place because of the abattoir and the opportunities it offered.”
He remained hopeful though that the meatworks may be reopened in the future, but admitted that could be some time away.
“The company is indicating at this point that may be a possibility down the track ... but just when – in two years’ or 10 years’ time – it’s impossible to say. It’s just a case of wait and see,” Mr Bolton said.
The company maintains large meat-processing centres in Murray Bridge in South Australia as well as in Tamworth. The Wallangarra plant had the capacity to process up to 15,250 lamb, mutton and goat carcases a week.
