It's a clever idea - instead of packing cattle onto a truck and sending it to an abattoir, why not just send the abattoir to the cattle?
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The founders of Bannockburn-based Provenir decided to do just that, designing, building, and testing a mobile abattoir that fits in a truck trailer.
Working in partnership with beef farmers, it's driven onto the paddock, and the cattle are led inside, where they are slaughtered and taken back to the Provenir facility for butchering.
The lack of transport reduces stress for the animal, which makes for a noticeably better cut of meat, according to chefs.
It also provides consumers with information on exactly where the cattle come from, an increasingly important aspect for paddock-to-plate conscious eaters.
The hard work has been recognised by an industry award - Provenir's branded beef recently won the Australian Food Awards's gold medal and best-in-class award.
This should be a story about an innovative idea coming from regional Victoria, but it's only operating on farms in southern New South Wales.
Right now, the Victorian legislation on abattoirs has no mention of vehicles, and that's a sticking point according to co-founder Jayne Newgreen.
"What we've decided is that it is a grey area," she said.
"Essentially, there is a bill called the Primary Industries Legislation Amendment Bill, which is an omnibus including the definition of an abattoir.
"There's a point in the bill about mobile abattoirs, and what we're hoping to see changed, but there are other points which saw it go back - it is currently sitting, after its second reading, awaiting review."
Ms Newgreen said the company had been working well with the state government to clear up the legislation, but hoped for a conclusion soon - Provenir is a fully-licensed abattoir in NSW, but each state has a different regulator.
"It's really unfortunate we haven't been able to operate in our home state," she said.
"The meat act is interpreted by each state - we've spoken to Victorian Department of Agriculture about wishing to operate a mobile abattoir, and we've received a lot of support."
Provenir has been operating for about two months so far, and there's plenty of interest from local farmers, both from a marketing perspective - consumers can see exactly where the cow was raised from a QR code on packaging - and an information perspective, as the company works in partnership with producers.
In the future, this could include data gained from the high-tech processing, which can help guide on-farm decisions and improve yield.
The only barrier to operation in Victoria is the wording of the act, Ms Newgreen added.
"This is not about biosecurity, this is about clarifying the definition of an abattoir, that is what we've been told," she said.
"Meat on-farm is what farmers have been able to enjoy on their own property with their families for generations.
"Farmers know the quality they get from processing on farm and not putting them on the truck."
State Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes said in a statement the Meat Industry Act amendments are currently before parliament to permit "mobile slaughter facilities".
"Abattoirs operating in Victoria are required to be licensed with PrimeSafe, which is responsible for regulating meat and seafood safety in Victoria," she said.
"We know that there is increasing demand across Victoria for more flexibility in the regulations to support innovative technologies like micro or mobile abattoirs."
PrimeSafe licence conditions require all abattoirs to comply with relevant Australian and Victorian standards and guidelines.
A meat processing facility, such as a mobile abattoir, is required to meet the Australian Standard for the hygienic production and transportation of meat and meat products for human consumption.
Any business seeking a PrimeSafe licence is encouraged to contact PrimeSafe directly to discuss their intended operations. General information is also available on the PrimeSafe website: https://www.primesafe.vic.gov.au/licensing/meat/abattoir/
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