A squeeze on meat supply to the Longreach region when coronavirus upheavals were in full swing was the tipping point for Jerome 'Jed' Marks and his wife Erin Marks to pursue the lease of the Longreach Pastoral College slaughterhouse.
The Department of Agriculture announced on Monday that the Marks, who have run BF Savage and Co butchery in Longreach since April 2019, had entered into a two-year agreement to occupy and develop the site with its abattoir facilities and holding yards.
Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said it was a move that would bring skills and employment back to the area.
According to Mr Marks, they have doubled employment from three to six employees at their Eagle Street business since taking over and they hoped to further increase, depending on whether plans came to fruition.
"I could see the slaughterhouse opportunity there; COVID-19 just pressed the button for us," he said. "Our supply chain was looking to go downhill fast; it was pretty tight for a while."
He worked on and off in the butcher shop for more than 10 years and has been a butcher himself for 16 years.
"I think doing it well is a dying trade and Erin has a passion for agriculture so that's how we started," he said.
The slaughterhouse lease completes a circle of sorts for Mr Marks, whose father Jeffrey Marks worked at the pastoral college years ago.
"I saw it growing up when there were 200-plus kids there," he said.
"Dad was doing stores, maintenance, feeding out and was an instructing offsider - it was a busy place.
"It was a massive increase for the town - they had their own footy team and everything."
He said the venture was a good opportunity to help the local community once again.
"Longreach and the western region have got some of the best land to produce animals - the property owners have bred great genetics.
"We know the provenance of the animals, and we can assure quality control."
Related:
It will be music to the ears of many that they intend putting hogget and mutton through the abattoir as well as lamb, and will kill goats too, saying it was something tourists often asked for when they came through.
Beef will be a mainstay and Mr Marks expected pork to be about 10 per cent of their offering.
While Clermont, Richmond, Blackall, Winton and Augathella have abattoirs attached to butchery businesses, Mr Marks said he would love to supply other towns and parts of the state if there was a call for it.
"We are in there now, we've been through all the accreditations," he said.
According to Mr Furner, all the required licences through Safe Food Production Queensland were in place.
He said the venture would help to keep prices down for local customers while giving local producers the option of sending stock to be processed.
"Bringing a valuable local asset back into use like this is just the kind of project we want to see arise out of this process. It supports local business and local jobs."
The announcement is the first sign of life at the college, which was controversially closed as part of the finalisation of the Queensland Agricultural Training Colleges in December last year.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
