Toowoomba company Mort and Co proposes major stockfeed manufacturing facility at Grassdale feedlot

Dozens of jobs could be created if a major feedlot operator is approved for a new 13,000 sqm processing facility.

Feedlot operator Mort and Co has proposed a new stockfeed facility southwest of Toowoomba.

A major Toowoomba feedlot operator has put forward plans for a massive stockfeed facility next to its main site southwest of the city, creating up to 20 jobs in the process.

Mort and Co submitted a development application for a “cottonseed processing and lysine plant” manufacturing plant.

The new facility would service the existing Grassdale feedlot north of Cecil Plains as well as produce material to be sold commercially.

According to the report by Precinct Urban Planning’s Andrew Bullen, the project feature 11,000 sqm of new buildings and another 2400 sqm of relocated sheds and other elements.

“Feed for the existing feedlot is grown on site and imported to the site for processing in the existing feed mill before being distributed across the feedlot,” he wrote.

“As part of this process, cottonseed is dehulled for use in feed and this process produces cotton meats and cotton hulls which are currently composted on site.

“The proposed feed manufacturing plant will allow the cottonseed meats and hulls to be processed into value added products, in addition to the on-site production of lysine which has not previously been produced on site, but which would need to be imported (from overseas) if not produced on site.

“The product derived from on-site processing would be used both in the feedlot, but also will be sold commercially.”

The facility will operate seven days a week, supporting up to 20 full-time equivalent positions.

Impacts into environmental management and traffic impacts were also submitted.

The council has yet to respond to the application.