Unexpected twist in Victorian abattoir video saga
Animal activists have claimed the Department of Agriculture has been referred to the national corruption watchdog for its handling of an animal cruelty complaint.
The saga over the fate of a video of footage from inside a Victorian abattoir has taken an unexpected turn.
Animal activists claim the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has been referred to the national corruption watchdog over its involvement in handling an initial complaint against Eurobin-based Game Meats Company.
In a statement published on Instagram, the Farm Transparency Project has accused DAFF of tipping off managers at the Game Meats Company, after FTP reported alleged animal cruelty at the abattoir to the department in May last year.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission was founded in July 2023 by the Albanese Government. It is an independent Commonwealth agency established to investigate and report on serious or systemic corruption within the Australian public sector.
When asked about the referral of DAFF to NACC, a spokesperson said: “While the commission encourages people to report corruption issues to us, and we can investigate corruption issues on our own initiative, we do not publicly disclose information about the receipt, status or existence of individual referrals.
“Nor do we comment on the subject matter of the referrals we are assessing, or investigating, as to do so may prejudice operational activities or unfairly impact people’s reputations.”
As of November 5 this year, the NACC has received 1045 referrals this financial year with 32 preliminary investigations underway and a further 38 corruption investigations underway. There are currently three NACC matters before the court.
The Weekly Times also questioned DAFF about the referral to NACC.
“The department has a robust regulatory framework and takes regulatory action, where appropriate,” a spokesperson said.
“The department takes seriously any allegations of misconduct ... and refers them to the appropriate authorities where necessary.”
The Game Meats Company abattoir video saga dates back to May last year when the Victorian abattoir was granted an injunction against the publication of a 14-minute compilation video of footage obtained by animal activist group, Farm Transparency Project.
At a Federal Court trial in August last year, the court heard Farm Transparency Project directors trespassed onto the Game Meats Company of Australia’s property on seven occasions between January and April 2024, going under the property’s fence before installing hidden pin cameras at the facility.
Following the trial the injunction was struck down with $130,000 in damages awarded. However, a year later the injunction was upheld on appeal.
The matter is currently the subject of a special leave application to the High Court.
