Red tape cut for farmers looking to build small on-farm abattoirs in Victoria

The Victorian government is changing the state planning rules to allow farmers to build and operate micro abattoirs on their properties without a planning permit.

The change comes after the Victorian government tabled its response to the inquiry into the food security in Victoria report last Thursday.

The inquiry, which delivered its report in November, found demand for fresh fruit and vegetables was increasing as the state's population grew, and urban encroachment into farmland was making it difficult and expensive to grow food close to Victorian cities.

The report made 33 recommendations and with the Victorian government saying it would support in full or in part 29 of them- including the suggestion that it should be easier for small producers to access kill facilities for livestock.

For some time now, smaller producers have faced limited options for processing their animals after large abattoirs began reducing their small orders.

Victorian farmer and spokesperson for the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance Dr Tammi Jonas said the reform is a big win for small-scale farmers across Victoria.

“(The AFSA commends) the Victorian Government for introducing strong measures to support smallholders this week, and responding to the rapid loss of access to abattoirs for small and medium scale producers,” Dr Jonas said.

“The Victorian Government’s reforms are practical and will strengthen both animal welfare and resilience of local food systems.”

“For the past 8 years, we’ve been working on evidence-based thresholds that demonstrate that micro abattoirs promote little to no risk on environment and amenity, so we are thrilled to see the State Government recognising processing as ancillary use for farmers whose livelihoods depend on it.”

“AFSA’s farmer members across the country are celebrating with us today, and calling for all state governments to follow suit and get on board with micro abattoir reforms.”

The Victorian government has said that small abattoirs will still need to be approved by the EPA and Primesafe when the planning provisions change, which should occur at a later stage this year.