Eumundi Abattoir Co-op

This initiative by Country Noosa led to the formation of the Eumundi Abattoir Co-op. After a considerable group effort by the working group committee, the Eumundi Country Co-op was formally registered with the Queensland Government Office of Fair Trading. Special thanks goes to Maree Gillott, Susan Rodgers, and Dick Barnes for their tremendous efforts in getting the required paperwork together and sent!

Now the real work starts! The Co-op elected directors and proposed members from the working group set about attracting the required funding to upgrade the abattoir facilities for operation as per the requirements of Safe Food Queensland.

This is an exciting time for the group as the Eumundi Country Co-op was so named to reflect the bigger picture. The abattoir facility at Eumundi is a necessary piece of infrastructure to deliver services to the local farming community for mixed species meat production in the Sunshine Coast region. However, the goal of the Co-op is to bring about change in how we view food production in the area.

It’s about farming using regenerative techniques to improve soil health, natural habitat, water quality, and community wellbeing; how to bring the local community along on the journey as we build an ethical and fair food production system on the Coast and how to look after the land and water that sustains all life in these catchments. All of this ties in with the ethos of Country Noosa and it is hoped the Eumundi Country Co-op will be able to work in partnership with this group to deliver practical education for both farmers and the community.

The following points are the key areas of work for the Co-op directors and members over the the next 12 months:

  • Establishment of banking, admin and ABN registry,
  • Enter into a longterm, rolling leasing agreement with the current Eumundi Abattoir owners.
  • Undertake IT requirements audit and establish relevant website, email facilities.
  • Preparation of information to disseminate to potential Co-op members.
  • Round the table meetings with groups of farmers to discuss the rules and regulations associated with membership of the Co-op.
  • Sign up of members to meet investment requirements of 12mth first stage upgrade of facilities as per the Co-op business plan.
  • Work with marketing consultants to build a robust marketing plan to engage and inform the local community regards the refurbishment and operation of the Eumundi abattoir facility and the longterm vision of the Eumundi Country Co-op.

Lastly, there is a special thanks to William Gray and family for their continued support and patience as we navigated the ups and downs of registering the Co-op entity and developing the required five year business plan to underpin the re-opening of this existing facility.

Nina Saxton, Chair Eumundi Co-op