An external Project Manager has been appointed and preparatory ground works are now underway
Major elements of the plant are now in the process of going out to tender
AACo is in advanced discussions with several parties looking to invest alongside it in the project
AACo cattle are being aligned to ensure sufficient supply for the plant once operational and other pastoralists in the plant’s catchment area have been reached out to
Discussions are underway with several potential offtake customers

It will be remembered, in the wake of the live export ban, there was a lot of discussion on why processing couldn't be done here. The AACo is in the process of solving some of that problem with this new facility.

What an odd thing to be interested in, I hear you cry.
I am an odd person, I hear myself respond.

Quote:

Jewish and Islamic rules are very specific about how beasts are killed. I speculate that these go back more than a millennium relating to avoidance of disease developing in meat in hot climates. But they are doctrines now and cannot be addressed by the advent of refrigeration - although lack of refrigeration is still a live issue in some Middle East countries to which live sheep are exported.

China is different. Most Chinese will eat pretty much any part of any animal (apart from their ancestors) - although some Chinese, notably the Uighur, are Muslim and would prefer halal-killed sheep & beef.

You're a dunce, you know that gregpec . . .spelt d-u-f-u-s.

Related to the issue of the Darwin abbattoir is the news that Indonesia is to start taking Aussie live beef on a large scale again, due to a scarcity in their home market.
Inevitably this means animal cruelty again, so the sooner we can get more onshoreprocessing the better.

Also related in a way is the news about Rio Tinto's scheme for turning the Pilbara into one giant food bowl:
Rio Tinto will grow hay from recycled mining water

By Andrew Balding

Wednesday, 19/10/2011

Mining giant Rio Tinto has been given environmental approval to grow hay using recycled water from its mining operations.

It's for a plan called the Hamersley Agriculture Project.

The hay will be produced across 1,650 hectares of land on Hamersley Station about 37 kilometres east of Tom Price.

The water will come from Marandoo Mine Phase Two in the Central Pilbara.

Initially, the hay will go to Hamersley Station and other Rio-owned pastoral properties in the region.

Chairman of the Environmental Protection Authority, Dr Paul Vogel, says the authority is pleased to have given the project approval.

"It provides a very, very sustainable use of significant quantities of water," he said.

"We're talking about 29 gigalitres a year, and having it used in this way is a much more sustainable use of a resource than just dispersing it into the environment."

Rio Tinto's general manager for Climate Change, Water and the Environment, Allan Jackson, says along with the hay the project offers some other opportunities as well.

"We're also looking at plantation for trees that will provide us with seeds for future mine rehabilitation and also mulching of hay for a replacement of soil that's not available to rehabilitate our mines in the future when they come to closure."

The project aims to grow two varieties of hay, which are rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) and forage oats (Avena sativa).

The plan is now waiting WA Government approval.

Rio Tinto says it hopes to commence the project in mid-2012.

Fast Forward
This is now happening.