Live Export

Wellard to build export depots in Darwin and Townsville

James Nason, 20/11/2015

Wellard Rural Exports is expanding its investment in the northern cattle industry with plans to build two new live export quarantine facilities near Darwin and Townsville.

The company is awaiting approval from the Northern Territory Government to build a $15 million pre-export quarantine facility for up to 12,000 cattle at Livingstone south of Darwin.

The plans also involve a 1000 head feedlot to take cattle up to export weights for slaughter-weight markets.

The new facility is located next to the 6000 head Santavan pre-export quarantine yards Wellard currently uses on a long-term lease.

The Townsville City Council has also recently voted to sell the council-owned Lansdown site on the Flinders Highway between Townsville and Charters Towers to Wellard, where the company plans to build a new pre-export facility.

Like other exporters Wellard currently uses a combination of the existing pre-export quarantine facilities at Charters Towers and Kelly’s Yards near Townsville on a contract basis.

The new yards will allow the company to use its own facility, but a spokesperson said it would continue to use contract yards as multiple or large shipments required.

The 2300 hectare site includes farming and pasture for backgrounding cattle and hay production, and, like the Livingstone proposal, will include a pre-export aggregation facility for 16,000 cattle and a feedlot.

Wellard is currently undertaking due diligence on the proposed Townsville purchase.

“Wellard’s investment in this project is significant and we want to set a new benchmark for animal welfare outcomes and operations efficiencies for pre-export quarantine facilities,” a spokesperson told Beef Central.

“This is evidenced by the fact that 50 percent of all pen space is under roof, protecting cattle from Darwin’s monsoonal conditions.

“If we proceed, a new pre-export quarantine facility will set new standards in animal welfare, waste recycling and efficiency.”

The Livingstone facility would be the first new pre-export quarantine depot built in the NT in the past 15 years, the spokesperson said.

 

 

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Comments

  1. percy hornery, 02/12/2015

    your news letter is very informative and I have shared it to lots of other friends

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