Awarded to the Murray Plains Meat Co-operative Micro Abattoir under the Murray-Darling Basin Economic Development Program, Cr Gen Campbell shared her concerns at the September Murray River Council meeting.
The funding is for supporting projects and communities impacted by water recovery under the basin. The micro-abattoir project was listed for the community of Deniboota.
“I would’ve assumed Deniboota was Deniliquin and Womboota. This is far away from the Barham abattoir,” Cr Campbell said.
“There is also an ad in the Riverine Herald where Riverside Meats is looking for a quality assurance manager, but in the original proposal for the micro-abattoir we were told (the Echuca abattoir) had closed.”
Council community and economic development director John Harvie said the application was eligible and said at the time the application was put together, there was no abattoir servicing the more than 20 producers who form the co-operative.
“They were the initial applicants for this funding,” Mr Harvie said.
“Council voted to become the lead applicant for the funding, the project manager and the owner of the facility, once it's completed, for a period up to five years.
“The government had indicated that they could not fund the meat co-operative, as it was a new organisation with no financial history behind it. That’s why they asked council to step in.”
Cr Tom Weyrich said he was getting phone calls on a weekly basis from people neighbouring the planned abattoir site who had not received any formal notification about the plans.
“I think we probably need to go back and revisit our abattoir because if my information is correct, we’ve not consulted with the community and some people who live close by are very upset,” Cr Weyrich said.
Mr Harvie said this was because a development application hadn’t been lodged yet, and said council was waiting to hear whether the project had been awarded a grant through the NSW Government’s Growing Local Economies Fund.
Mr Harvie also said there had been three public meetings in Barham for the community to find out about the project,
However, Cr Campbell said she had been told the meetings were to join the co-operative.
“I just can’t wait for us to get the public water register so we can see who sold water — who were the recipients of the MDBA water recovery grant money,” she said.
“It’s drought funding money and I’d like to see who qualifies.”
Mr Harvie objected to Cr Campbell’s comments.
“I really have to protest,” he said.
“Cr Campbell is trying to indicate that there is some underhand business going on here, and this has been going on for weeks now with some councillors.
“I’m not going to have aspersions against my reputation, if anybody wants to investigate these projects, then I will support it 100 per cent.
“I would really like Cr Campbell to explain if she has any evidence of wrongdoing then bring it to the council.”
Cr Campbell apologised “unreservedly” to Mr Harvie.
“I would welcome a meeting with him, with my documentation, so that we can at least come to some agreement in the concerns I have raised personally to me,” Cr Campbell said.
Acting chief executive Brian Barrett said Cr Campbell had again implied wrongdoing.
“If you’ve got documentation, put up or shut up,” he said.
Cr Geoff Wise said he was in favour of the abattoir, but was concerned about the suggested location.
“It’s not a beautiful industry and if it’s sitting beside small properties with kids, I’m not so sure about squealing pigs 200 yards away,” he said.
“I’m totally happy with the concept, but I’d love to revisit and give the members a look around and see what is available.”
The project has so far received a total of $825,000 in funding.