Red tape slashed for Victorian farmers wanting to build micro-abattoirs

Victorian farmers are celebrating a landmark decision by the state government to ease planning regulations for on-farm micro-abattoirs in a move set to slash red tape, lower processing costs, and boost local food systems.

The new changes mean micro-abattoirs will no longer require planning permits in Victoria, recognising them as an "ancillary use" to farming. The long-fought reform has been championed by the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) since 2017.

“This is a historic win for local communities and food producers,” central Victoria farmer and AFSA spokesperson Dr Tammi Jonas said.

“It means farmers can now process livestock without being dragged through years of expensive and time-consuming planning applications.”

The reform follows a November 2024 parliamentary inquiry into food supply resilience, which echoed AFSA’s long-standing proposal to remove permit requirements.

Momentum accelerated earlier this year when Hardwick’s, a major abattoir in central Victoria, stopped offering services to smallholders - forcing some farmers to travel hours both ways to process livestock.

Dr. Jonas said she spent nearly four years navigating planning hurdles to build a micro-abattoir on her own-farm, and she's thrilled that others won't have to go through the same headache inducing process.

"(This change) will save people at minimum two years of logistical headaches - at maximum four," she said.

Beyond the convenience of being able to process livestock on their own property, Dr Jonas said this move will also improve animal welfare by reducing travel stress, support local economies through job creation, and make locally processed meat more affordable.

“When small producers can process locally, it's better for everyone—animals, farmers, and communities."

With Victoria leading the way, Dr Jonas said the AFSA is now focused on seeing similar changes implemented across Australia, herself developing a 60-page planning/building guide for others to replicate and urging supporters to lobby their local MPs.

"This is an historic win for local communities and local food systems and we're delighted by the outcome and can't wait to see the other states follow suit," she said.

“(This amendment shows that) state governments are listening, and the more voices government hears, the faster change will come."

Templates and resources related to micro-abattoirs are available on the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance website.