Derwent Valley meatworks may face cruelty count
A TASMANIAN meatworks could be charged with animal welfare offences on the back of undercover footage filmed by animal activists.
Tasmania
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A TASMANIAN meatworks could be charged with animal welfare offences on the back of undercover footage filmed by animal activists.
The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment has been reviewing the footage taken in 2016 of pigs, sheep and cows being handled at Gretna Meats in the Derwent Valley.
On Friday it said the investigation was now complete and a brief had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The DPP will decide if the matter will proceed and if any charges are laid.
A spokesman from Gretna Meatworks said he did not want to comment on the development at this stage, but the company has previously stated the operation is lawful.
The department is also investigating cruelty allegations against Tasmanian Quality Meats at Cressy.
“Both active investigations relate to anonymous footage that was provided to the department,” a spokesman said.
“A matter involving Tasmanian Quality Meats remains under investigation and is expected to be completed this year.”
Tasmanian Quality Meats last year admitted calves were ill-treated at the Cressy site and said it would work to ensure it never happened again.
Kristy Alger from Animal Liberation Tasmania, which took the footage in both abattoirs and forwarded it to authorities, said it was good to see the investigations progress.
Ms Alger said slaughtering animals for export in Australia rather than sending them overseas live was not a more humane option if animal welfare standards in this country were not upheld.
The Federal Labor Party announced this week it would consider banning the export of live animals for slaughter if it won power.
“It is time for ethical consistency. If Australia is to ban live exports it should also close down slaughterhouses,” Ms Alger said.
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