Page 1060 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2012
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MS PORTER: Thank you very much. The farm is located in close proximity to key markets where packed eggs are distributed. It is also strategically located in relation to nearby farms that supply eggs for grading and packaging.
Parkwood is one of the three grading floors that Pace Farm operates nationally. To get maximum efficiency from a grading floor, it is essential that it be located adjacent to an efficient and productive farm which produces eggs that feed directly into the grading floor. This means that the viability of the Parkwood facility is directly linked to the ongoing operation of the poultry farm. Including eggs produced on site, daily throughput for grading and packaging is between 750,000 and one million eggs.
Not only is Parkwood a key element in the Pace Farm business, but it is also an important part of the local economy. Parkwood has a current workforce of 60 people and it is estimated that the business accounts for around $3 million of economic activity each year. These are important numbers in an economy with a very low share of economic activity arising from agricultural production. They are also important numbers in relation to employment opportunities in this part of Canberra. We should be doing everything we can to ensure that such opportunities are retained and, where possible, enhanced.
The break-in at Parkwood farm last week has brought the issue of cage egg production and animal welfare back to the fore. Notwithstanding the importance of this issue, it is deplorable that any individuals concerned chose to use illegal means to highlight their message. There is no excuse for the damage that was done to conveyor belts, grading and packaging machinery, office equipment and forklifts, and the impact that this has had on the operations of this important local business.
Nevertheless, we find ourselves here today with an opportunity to revisit the issue of cage egg production in the ACT. This is an issue that has been before this Assembly on a number of occasions over a number of years, as I said. I welcome the advocacy by members of this Assembly and our community for improved conditions at poultry farms and for improved animal welfare more broadly. The ACT government is still committed to the eventual abandonment of cage egg production, but not at the detriment of ACT businesses or Canberra jobs. Banning cage egg production in the ACT does not improve the welfare of a single chicken’s life if the cage egg production simply moves across the border to Queanbeyan, because there is no nationally agreed position on this issue.
During the 2009 debate on cage egg production in the ACT, animal welfare concerns were recognised. It was noted that in 1997 the Assembly had passed amendments to the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the production and sale of eggs using the battery cage system. However, in order to implement this ban, national agreement was required under the Mutual Recognition Act. This agreement has not been forthcoming, so the amending legislation has not commenced. To date, the large egg-producing states have not been supportive, and they are unlikely to be supportive for the foreseeable future. However, the ACT Labor government remains committed to advocating for a national ban on cage egg production and improved welfare for poultry.
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