Media Release | 26 February 2026
Lachlan Hunter MLA
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food
Peter Rundle MLA
Member for Roe
Deputy Leader of The Nationals WA
The Opposition has slammed the Cook and Albanese Labor Governments after the temporary closure of the Beaufort River meat processing facility in the Great Southern — coming just one day after governments announced supply-chain grants intended to “support” the sheep industry.
The Beaufort River processing plant, a modern export-standard facility in Western Australia’s Great Southern sheep-producing region, has temporarily shut down its operations amid livestock supply and operational pressures.
The plant had capacity to process significant sheep and goat volumes and directly employed around 100 workers, while supporting many more transport, livestock and service businesses across the region.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Food, Lachlan Hunter MP, said the timing exposed a deep disconnect between government announcements and what is actually happening on the ground in regional Western Australia.
“Yesterday, Labor governments stood up and announced grants supposedly to strengthen the sheep supply chain.
Today a real piece of that supply chain has temporarily shut its doors.”
“You cannot talk about transition and support while regional processors are closing and regional families are losing their jobs.”
Mr Hunter said abattoirs are not just another business — they are critical agricultural infrastructure.
“Without processing capacity, farmers cannot sell stock locally. Without local processing, animals travel further, costs increase and producers ultimately exit the industry.”
“Across Australia, industry groups have already warned abattoir closures are stripping farmers of essential processing access and threatening the viability of livestock production and regional communities.”
Mr Hunter said the closure should serve as a wake-up call to Government.
“You cannot shut down live export, delay support, and then be surprised when processors collapse.”
“Regional communities warned this would happen. Today, sadly, they were proven right.”
Peter Rundle Member for Roe said the impact on the Great Southern community would be immediate and severe.
“This is not just about a single facility. This is about families, contractors, truck drivers, shearers, feed suppliers, local shops and entire towns.”
“Beaufort River supported hundreds of indirect jobs across the Great Southern and Wheatbelt. When a processor closes, the economic shock travels right across the region.”
Mr Rundle said the closure also raised serious concerns about Labor’s handling of the sheep industry transition away from live export.
“Processors were meant to be the alternative pathway for producers. Instead, capacity is disappearing.”
“The reality is farmers are being told to trust a plan, while the infrastructure needed to make that plan work is vanishing.”
ENDS
