THE construction of the Wellcamp Airport at Toowoomba and plans to upgraded inland rail infrastructure is helping to drive enthusiasm for a proposal to build a beef, sheep and game meat abattoir at Roma.
The Maranoa Regional Council last week announced that $75,000 had been set aside in this year’s budget for a “high level” feasibility study into the potential of a new abattoir.
Cr Cameron O’Neil said the Maranoa Regional Council was looking for ways to soften the downturn in the local economy that is predicted to hit once the resource boom subsides.
Cr O’Neil said research showed that the construction of the new airport at Toowoomba could open up new export opportunities to Asia and the Middle East for beef, goat and lamb.
He said proposed upgrades to inland rail infrastructure may also provide an efficient link to the new airport from the proposed Roma abattoir.
“The discussions at this stage are that the rail will finish at Miles but if there is going to be money invested in extending that rail then we want to make sure we are in a position to show better value for money in terms of a sustainable industry in the west,” he said.
“If we are able to tap into a fairly quick rail network that gets products from our part of the world onto the Darling Downs and only a stones throw from the new airport at Toowoomba then that would be a great thing.”
Cr O’Neil said there had also been some private sector interest in the proposal.
“One of the triggers for us to really ramp this idea up was a delegation from Asia in 2013 that came across and were looking at opportunities to invest in the Surat Basin through discussion with the Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBS),” he said.
“One of the ideas that was put forward by that delegation was a meatworks so there is certainly interest out there and that’s what we want to tap into.”
Cr O’Neil said Roma was an idea location for an abattoir being on the doorstep of Australia’s largest cattle selling centre and central to large numbers of feral goat populations.
“We are not looking to compete with the Charleville goat abattoir,” he said.
“Our anecdotal evidence at the moment is that they are at capacity but with 80pc of the feral goat herd coming out of the Surat Basin there may be unique opportunities to create some jobs to buffer what will be the downturn of the resource sector.”
Maranoa Regional Council is now seeking another $75,000 from the state and federal government to complete the feasibility study and said initial discussions with Minister and local members had been very positive.
Penelope Arthur
Journalist for Queensland Country Life at Roma.
Journalist for Queensland Country Life at Roma.
