Symes tries to pass the buck on Cedar Meats outbreak to Feds

Protocols to protect human health are a state responsibility, says Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.

Fair cop: Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says the Commonwealth’s job was to ensure Cedar Meats produced safe, clean meat for export, not manage human health, which is a state responsibility.

THE Andrews Government is trying to pass the buck on responsibility for managing human health of workers at the Cedar Meats plant in the lead-up to 42 workers coming down with coronavirus, plus five linked to the outbreak.

Today the Victorian Government hit back at claims it was responsible for managing the Cedar Meats site, with Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes saying it was the Commonwealth’s responsibility to monitor Cedar Meats operations.

Ms Symes spokesman said the “Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment is responsible for day-to-day monitoring of operations at the Melbourne facility in question, as it is an export abattoir”.

But Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has hit back saying that while Commonwealth Government officials are there to ensure the plant produces clean, safe meat that meets international markets specifications, not to manage protocols to manage human health.

“These (Commonwealth) officers are not responsible for the management of human health on-plant, that is the responsibility of Victorian health authorities and the Victorian Government,” Mr Littleproud’s spokesman said.

“The company advised the Commonwealth department that the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and Worksafe Victoria had advised it that their measures to manage COVID-19 were sufficient.”

The COVID-19 outbreak has raised serious concerns on the adequacy of human health management in meat works, with Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton having already admitted they are vulnerable.

The Victorian Government is yet to announce if it will crank up its human health protocols in meat works and other food processing facilities to minimise the risk of spreading COVID-19.

In mid-March Australian Meat Industry Council and dairy processors called on state and federal governments to deem their industries essential.

AMIC and the Dairy Food Products Federation called for support in delivering protocols that would ensure processors could get up and going as soon as possible after a worker was diagnosed with coronavirus.

At the time AMIC chief executive Patrick Hutchinson said high hygiene standards and the compartmentalised nature of meat processing works, meant they could be put back on line in a matter of hours, not days, but only with priority access to coronavirus testing and government support.

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