Developing a Micro-Abattoir Blueprint

PROJECTS

Micro-Abattoir-Blueprint

A significant barrier to the development of small-scale abattoirs is the cost and complexity involved in designing each facility from the ground up. Facility design, waste and wastewater systems, regulatory requirements, equipment selection, construction methods and operational flows all require specialist input, adding considerable cost and time during the early stages of development.

Holding Ground is undertaking research into small-scale processing facilities across Australia and abroad, examining both successful models and those that have encountered significant operational, regulatory or financial challenges.

This work is being combined with the expertise of waste and wastewater specialists, engineers, builders, processors and other industry experts to develop a practical blueprint for regional-scale processing infrastructure.

  • Design

    Designing for efficient, small-scale operation

    The blueprint will bring together the key elements required for an efficient and commercially workable facility, including livestock and carcass flow, processing areas, chilling and storage, waste and wastewater management, biosecurity, labour efficiency, equipment requirements and opportunities for future expansion.

    A key focus is modular design and construction, with the aim of reducing construction costs and allowing facilities to be appropriately scaled or expanded as regional demand develops.

  • Adaptable

    Adaptable to local conditions

    The blueprint is not intended to provide a single standard design.

    Every site presents different physical, environmental and planning conditions, and every region has a different mix of producers, species, processing volumes and market requirements.

    Instead, the objective is to develop a well-resolved core design and suite of modular components that can be readily adapted to different sites and regional requirements.

  • Reducing costs

    Reducing duplication and development costs

    Integrating this work into a common blueprint will allow future projects to build on established design, engineering and operational knowledge rather than repeating the same work independently.

    While site-specific planning, engineering and approvals will remain necessary, a more resolved starting point has the potential to reduce design and planning costs, shorten development timeframes and avoid known design and operational problems.

  • Supporting scale

    Supporting replication

    The longer-term objective is to establish a practical foundation for the development of decentralised, appropriately scaled processing infrastructure across Australia.

    By capturing and applying lessons from existing facilities and specialist expertise, the blueprint can provide future projects with a stronger starting point and make small-scale processing infrastructure more practical and cost-effective to develop.